Episode Overview

Podcast: Apple News Today
Episode: Why ICE raided a company that invests billions in the U.S.
Host: Shumita Basu
Date: September 8, 2025

This episode addresses the fallout from a massive ICE raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, exploring its diplomatic reverberations between the U.S. and South Korea. The episode also covers a disappointing U.S. jobs report and discusses how a coalition of legal groups is challenging Trump administration policies in court. Additional headlines touch on the latest developments out of Ukraine, protests in U.S. cities, and the outcomes of the U.S. Open tennis championships.

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. ICE Raid at Hyundai Plant & U.S.–South Korea Tensions

[00:05–04:09]

• The Raid:
  ICE arrested 475 people at a Hyundai plant under construction in Georgia, described as the largest on-site workplace operation ever.

  • Footage showed detainees chained and escorted out of the facility.
  • Most arrested were South Korean nationals; some U.S. citizens and legal residents were released after initial detention.

• Official Statements:

  • Homeland Security Special Agent Stephen Schrank summarized the scale and background:

    "This has been a multi month criminal investigation where we have developed evidence, conducted interviews, gathered documents and presented that evidence to the court." (Stephen Schrank, [01:14])

  • The South Korean foreign ministry responded with sharp criticism, holding emergency talks and floating possible travel to Washington.

• Diplomatic Fallout:

  • Ultimately, 300 detainees were released and repatriated to South Korea as part of a diplomatic agreement.
  • CNN correspondent Mike Valerio described the public reaction in South Korea as shock and betrayal:

    "I cannot stress enough... the feeling of betrayal that is emanating from all corners of South Korean society." (Mike Valerio, [02:16])

• Who Hired the Workers?

  • Not fully clear; many were subcontractors for Hyundai and LG.
  • LG suspended business travel to the U.S.; Hyundai promised internal investigation.
  • Georgia has heavily courted South Korean investment, with $17.5 billion in goods traded and numerous Korean-owned businesses in the state.

• Context & Timing:
  The raid closely followed a new U.S.–South Korea trade deal announcement and President Lee’s pledge of $150 billion new investment in America, especially in battery factories (Jasmine Garsd, [03:50]).

2. A Weak U.S. Jobs Report and the Frozen Labor Market

[04:09–07:27]

• Disappointing Numbers:
  August saw just 22,000 new jobs—far below expectations—with revisions showing earlier job losses for the first time since December 2020.

  • Blue-collar sectors were especially impacted.

• Why the Slowdown? (Courtney Brown, Axios, [05:32])

  • Cost of foreign inputs is up due to new tariffs.
  • Immigration crackdowns make hiring more difficult:

    "We’re hearing anecdotally, it's starting to get really difficult to find the workers they need. Because President Trump's immigration crackdown..."

• Tariffs & Legal Uncertainty:

  • A major court decision found many of Trump’s tariffs illegal, creating uncertainty for employers awaiting the Supreme Court's ruling.

• Labor Market Dynamics:

  • Consumer confidence dropped to a three-month low.
  • Unemployment ticked up from 4.2% to 4.3%.
  • Courtney Brown describes the moment as a "no hire, no fire" market:

    "Hiring is so sluggish. ... If you were laid off because hiring is so sluggish, you are spending more and more time unemployed." ([06:53])

• Disparities:
  Black unemployment hit 7.2%, the highest since October 2021, while the broader rate remains historically low.

3. Legal Challenges to the Trump Administration

[07:27–11:35]

• Legal Resistance:
  A diverse coalition—lawyers, public interest groups, Democratic state attorneys general, and unions—has mounted numerous legal challenges against Trump’s agenda.

• Track Record:

  • Over 384 cases filed as of late August.
  • Roughly one-third resulted in orders blocking at least part of Trump’s policies.
  • The first lawsuit came hours after inauguration; an early win came when a funding freeze letter was withdrawn due to legal action.

• Playbook Developed:
  Michael Shearer of The Atlantic explained how these groups quickly mobilize:

  "They drafted up legal arguments for potential moves Trump might make, made calls to find plaintiffs and supporting evidence... and rushed to court to file lawsuits." ([09:57])

• Impact Beyond the Courtroom:

  • The lawsuits exposed government actions and enabled transparency through depositions and records.

  "It gave civil servants the ability to testify and give depositions about what they'd been asked to do and what they'd refused to do." (Michael Shearer, [10:31])

• Judicial Landscape:

  • About 40% of cases have been decided in Trump’s favor.
  • Supreme Court has been more accommodating to the administration than lower courts.
  • Many cases remain undecided and could shape the legal framework for presidential powers by the term’s end.

4. Other Major Headlines

[11:35–End]

• Ukraine Airstrikes:
  Russia targeted government buildings in Kyiv in the war’s largest aerial assault so far, killing at least four, including a child. President Zelensky condemned the attack. ([11:35])

• U.S. Protests:
  Thousands protested in D.C. and Chicago against Trump’s use of federal agents and, in D.C., the temporary federal takeover of the police.

• US Open Tennis:

  • Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) won his second U.S. Open title, defeating Jannik Sinner (Italy).
  • On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) beat Amanda Anisimova (U.S.) for her second consecutive title.
  • President Trump attended, the first sitting president at the men’s final since 2000.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the ICE raid’s shock waves:

  "I cannot stress enough... the feeling of betrayal that is emanating from all corners of South Korean society."
  — Mike Valerio, CNN ([02:16])

• On labor market paralysis:

  "We are in what myself and my colleagues have been calling the frozen labor market, the no hire, no fire labor market."
  — Courtney Brown, Axios ([06:53])

• On the legal pushback strategy:

  "They drafted up legal arguments for potential moves Trump might make, made calls to find plaintiffs and supporting evidence... and rushed to court to file lawsuits."
  — Michael Shearer, The Atlantic ([09:57])

Key Timestamps

• 00:05 – Show introduction and ICE raid headline
• 01:14 – Homeland Security’s statement on the raid
• 02:16 – South Korean media and public reaction
• 03:50 – U.S.–South Korea trade/investment context
• 05:03 – August jobs report breakdown
• 06:53 – "No hire, no fire" labor market
• 09:00–10:31 – Legal strategies against Trump administration
• 11:35 – Quick headlines: Ukraine, protests, US Open

For more detailed stories or articles referenced in this episode, visit the Apple News app.