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When one worker glanced out of his workspace glass and saw security trucks and immigration agents moving about with guns, he was stunned, yet not worried.

The young individual was convinced it had unrelated to do with him. He was in the United States only for a short period on a temporary visa, he reflected to himself.

Suddenly, the armed agents stormed into his space and commanded him out. They handcuffed him, before connecting restraints to his waist and legs, and loaded him onto a bus bound for a detention facility.

"I was terrified and my mind froze. I felt sick," he told during a discussion, now returned home.

"I was confused about why I was being treated like this."

The worker is among of more than 300 Korean workers who were detained in the US state of the Southern state earlier this month, in among of the biggest immigration raids of Donald Trump's administration to date. Youngjin and fellow detainees spoken with for this article didn't want to disclose their real names in order to protect their privacy.

Aircraft and Drones… People Carrying Guns

US authorities at first stated the workers had been in the country illegally on incorrect visas, but later the parties reached a deal permitting them to depart without force free from any penalties, so they could return to work there in the coming years.

The majority of the workers were in the United States for a short time, helping to construct an EV power plant run by a pair of Korean companies, Hyundai and a tech giant – a segment of a American push to encourage foreign businesses to put money and produce more in the country.

LG said that many of its employees who were detained had different kinds of permits or were under a permit-free programme. Therefore they were especially shocked by the operation.

"We just came out for a short pause and I could see a many individuals, agents with weapons. As Koreans, we just thought they were here to arrest criminals, but after that, they suddenly started arresting us," said another detainee, who was also detained that day.

Chul-yong said they attempted to clarify who they were, but they were frightened: "We saw helicopters and drones, security trucks… people with guns."

We noticed some officers pointing weapons at us, he claimed. "You know those laser dots that emit from those guns? It was so alarming that some individuals were shivering in terror."

Even those who managed to provide their visa information said they were arrested. "I thought everything would be cleared up but on the contrary, they without warning restrained us," said Mr Kim involved, who only wanted to reveal his surname.

Chul-yong said there was a restraint around his feet and one more around his waist, linked to handcuffs. "It was so tight, I couldn't touch my head with my arms."

Each of them said they had no idea why this was occurring, or where they were being taken. "I later learned that I was detained at the Folkston ICE Processing Facility," mentioned the software engineer. He had been intending to remain for about a 30 days but was detained on his sixth day there.

The Conditions Were Very Cold... Drinking Water Had an Odor Similar to Wastewater'

Youngjin, an engineer and sub-contractor for the company, was planned to be there for over a month to train personnel to use some of the specialized advanced equipment.

This engineer was shaking, still clearly upset, as he described his transfer to the holding center and confined in a room with dozens of other detainees.

"I had a anxiety episode. I just remained there trembling," he said. The room was freezing, and the new detainees were not given blankets for the initial days, he added.

"I was in light clothing, so I tucked my arms inside my clothes and wrapped myself in a cloth to try to keep heated at night," he said. "The worst part was the liquid. It had an odor reminiscent of sewage. We drank as minimally as possible."

Those bunk beds were all occupied, another detainee said, by the time he got there, forcing him and fellow detainees to locate any available space to sleep, even an empty desk where they could put their head down.

"We tried to sleep wherever possible, really. It was really cold. There were individuals who located wrapped bread, heated it up in the microwave, holding it throughout the evening."

During the initial days, Youngjin had little clue how long he would be held for. He feared it might be months. It was only after some of the workers were able to meet lawyers and consular staff, did they realise their government was cooperating with the US authorities to get them released.

"Even the American side feels it may have gone a bit too far," South Korea's chief trade negotiator informed reporters after returning from the United States. Seoul says it is now investigating potential civil violations during the operation by US authorities.

Trump acknowledged the necessity to have specialists from overseas educate up US workers, and as per South Korean officials, US Deputy Secretary of State a senior diplomat has conveyed his "deep regrets" over the incident.

Still, it has damaged relations between the US and Korea, typically close partners, particularly since it came soon on the heels of a economic agreement in which South Korean firms committed to invest $350bn in the United States.

Mr Kim believed his work was permitted by his B-1 permit - and argued it made no sense for the officials to arrest many of individuals without clarifying their functions in the factory.

Younjin, who was in the United States on a three-month visa waiver scheme, is adamant he did no illegal. "I only attended discussions and delivered instructional sessions," he said, explaining this was within the terms of the arrangement. "My trust in the US has been deeply shaken. I believe it's a reliable ally for South Korea."

Although returned with his family, the engineer is continuing struggling to come to terms with what happened to him. At the time he met them at the airport after returning to South Korea on Friday night, he said he smiled and {hug