South Korea has finalized negotiations with the United States to secure the release of over 300 South Korean workers detained during a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor manufacturing facility in Georgia.
The raid, described as the largest single-site enforcement operation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, targeted a plant producing electric vehicle batteries, a significant economic project for Georgia.
The operation detained 475 individuals, most of whom were South Korean nationals, for allegedly working illegally on short-term or recreational visas.
U.S. federal agents conducted the raid as part of an ongoing investigation into unlawful employment practices, according to Steven Schrank, Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations.
Video evidence released by ICE showed workers, some wearing vests labeled “Hyundai” or “LG CNS,” being shackled and escorted to buses.
The White House defended the operation, with President Donald Trump stating, “They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job.”
The raid has raised concerns in South Korea, particularly as it coincides with a recent $350 billion trade deal aimed at supporting Korean companies entering the U.S. market.
South Korea’s Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced that a chartered plane would be sent to bring the detained workers home once administrative procedures are completed.
Kang emphasized efforts to improve the visa system, stating, “The authorities were trying to improve the visa system to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The timing of the raid has sparked concern in Seoul, with South Korean media warning of a potential “chilling effect” on Korean business activities in the U.S.
The Hyundai plant, a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, employs 1,200 people and represents a major foreign investment in Georgia, highlighting tensions between U.S. immigration policies and international economic partnerships.