South Korea announced Sunday that over 300 workers detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and flown home.
U.S. immigration authorities said they detained 475 people—most of them South Korean—during a raid on Hyundai’s EV battery plant under construction in Georgia. South Korea’s foreign minister confirmed over 300 of its nationals were among those held. Chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said a charter plane will be sent once final administrative steps are completed.
Thursday’s raid, part of Trump’s broader deportation agenda, stood out for its scale and for targeting Georgia’s largest economic project. The move shocked South Korea, a key U.S. ally that recently pledged $100 billion in U.S. energy purchases and a $350 billion investment after Trump’s summit with President Lee in Washington.
President Lee urged an “all-out response” to the raid, insisting South Korean nationals and businesses not be unfairly targeted. The Foreign Ministry voiced “concern and regret” and dispatched diplomats to the site.
ICE released video of agents raiding the Hyundai site, frisking and shackling workers before transporting most to a detention center in Folkston, Georgia. No charges have been filed, but officials said some detainees crossed the border illegally while others overstayed or misused visas.
Kang said South Korea will seek to improve visa systems for business travelers tied to U.S. investment projects following the latest raid.
NEWS ALERT: 450 detained in raid by ICE, other agencies at huge car manufacturing site
