US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained 475 workers, mostly South Korean nationals, during a major raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy battery plant in Georgia. Officials said many were found working illegally after entering the country on short-term visitor visas.
“People on recreational or temporary visas are not authorized to work in the US,” ICE stated, adding that the operation was part of an ongoing criminal investigation aimed at protecting American jobs.
Of those detained, more than 300 were South Korean citizens. They are currently being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia. Hyundai stressed that the company directly employed none of the arrested individuals, while LG Energy Solution said it is cooperating fully with authorities.
Seoul has dispatched diplomats to Georgia and urged the US to respect the rights of its citizens. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed “a great sense of responsibility” and convened an emergency meeting on the issue.
South Korea’s foreign ministry voiced concern, urging that “the economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations.”
The raid could strain ties between Washington and Seoul, highlighting the tension between President Donald Trump’s push to boost US manufacturing and his hardline immigration agenda.
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