The release and return of some 300 South Koreans detained in a U.S. immigration raid in Georgia has been delayed after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested they remain in the United States.

A South Korean foreign ministry official on Wednesday revealed the information during a press briefing at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The official said the reason for the postponement, initially described as "issues on the U.S. side," was clarified during a meeting between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Rubio told Cho that President Trump viewed the detainees as skilled workers and instructed that their repatriation be put on hold in order to hear South Korea’s position on whether they should remain in the U.S. to work and train American labor, or return home, according to the official.

Cho explained to Rubio that the South Korean detainees were deeply shocked and exhausted, and that it would be better for them to return home first.

In response, the U.S. agreed to respect the position and proceed with their repatriation.

Addressing speculation that the delay was caused by disagreements over whether the detainees would be shackled during transport from the detention center to the airport, the official said Trump instructed U.S. authorities to honor Seoul’s strong request that the workers be transferred without physical restraints.