United States immigration authorities conducted a large-scale enforcement operation at a Hyundai and LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia on 5 September 2025, detaining 475 individuals, the majority of whom were South Korean nationals. Officials explained that the action was carried out to address serious violations of immigration and labor laws.
Reason For Rounding Up South Koreans
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that many detainees were found to be working under short-term visas, recreational visas, or through the visa waiver program. None of these permits authorized legal employment in the United States. This prompted officials to treat the widespread violations as a direct threat to domestic employment protection.
The presence of so many South Korean employees at the site was linked to the joint venture structure of the facility. Hyundai and LG Energy Solution had dispatched technical teams and contractors from South Korea to oversee advanced electric vehicle battery production, reflecting the heavy reliance on specialized foreign expertise during plant operations.
Video footage released by immigration authorities showed detained workers in handcuffs. Some wore vests labeled Hyundai or LG CNS. Homeland Security Investigations stated the raid was necessary to uphold immigration laws and to demonstrate that visa misuse and unauthorized employment would face strict enforcement regardless of corporate involvement.
Further Response from the U.S. Government
President Donald Trump defended the action. He declared ICE was fulfilling its responsibility to protect American jobs. He emphasized that economic partnerships or foreign investment projects could not justify systematic disregard of employment authorization rules that ensure fair competition and security within the domestic labor market.
The plant had been promoted by Georgia officials as the largest economic development project in state history. ICE authorities maintained that scale and investment did not excuse noncompliance. They stressed that the discovery of hundreds of unauthorized foreign workers made immediate intervention unavoidable and legally required under federal statutes.
Homeland Security reiterated that the raid was meant to send a message both to corporations and to international workers. They explained that temporary visas cannot substitute for work permits and that companies exploiting legal loopholes would face accountability through investigations, arrests, and, where necessary, large-scale enforcement operations.
Response from South Korea and Resolution
The government of South Korea reacted with alarm. It convened an emergency meeting and dispatched diplomats to Georgia. However, immigration officials insist that misuse of visas by workers, even in large investment projects, threatens legal employment systems and undermines the rights of authorized immigrant workers in the United States.
Both countries later reached an agreement on 7 September 2025 that allowed the release of the detained workers. Officials from the South Korean government confirmed that the individuals would be repatriated after administrative procedures concluded. A charter flight was arranged to facilitate the return of the detainees.
United States authorities clarified that no criminal charges had been filed against the detained workers. The decision to release the individuals underscored a desire to resolve the situation promptly without escalating tensions with a close American ally heavily invested in domestic manufacturing. Broader immigration investigation remains ongoing.