Immigration Attorney Says Detained Hyundai Battery Plant Workers Reluctant to Return
The ICE raid targeting visa violations at Hyundai's Georgia plant detained 475 predominantly South Korean workers, triggering diplomatic protests and potential investment hesitations, officials said.
- On September 5, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a raid at Hyundai EV-battery plant in Bryan County, detaining 475 workers, mostly South Korean nationals, in one of the largest U.S. workplace raids.
- Originally launched to arrest four Latino workers, the ICE operation targeted alleged visa violations and illegal hiring, exposing tensions between enforcement and the Trump administration's economic goals.
- Accounts and images show detainees transported to the Folkston ICE Processing Center over an hour away, held in a 72-bed barracks with limited bathrooms, and visual evidence reveals shackled workers, including two who arrived from Korea the night before.
- More than 300 South Korean repatriated workers returned by September 12, Hyundai Motor Group delayed its plant opening citing workforce disruptions despite a $7.6 billion commitment, and President Donald Trump proposed tailored visa proposals on Sunday.
- The episode threatens a July deal tied to $350 billion in Korean investments and complicates U.S.-South Korea tariff negotiations, analysts warn the fallout may reshape global firms' approaches in the coming years.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Trump administration in damage-control mode after Hyundai immigration raid sparks investment concerns
U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have adopted a reconciliatory tone following an immigration raid at a South Korean-owned battery plant.
US ‘regrets’ mass Georgia raid on Korean workers, says Seoul envoy
WASHINGTON, Sept 16 — Seoul’s trade envoy yesterday suggested that Washington has some regrets about a recent immigration raid that detained hundreds of South Koreans in the US state of Georgia.Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made the remarks to reporters as he arrived to the US capital for talks with US counterparts on finalizing a bilateral deal, the Yonhap news wire reported.“The mood is that the US side apparently thinks (the detention) was a bit…
Why Trump Regrets ICE’s Raid on a Hyundai Plant in Georgia
Trump regrets ICE’s big raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia. Two of the administration’s big priorities — mass deportation and bringing manufacturing to America — came into conflict in an embarrassing way when hundreds of South Koreans were arrested.
Trump says foreign workers are ‘welcome’ after ICE raid in Georgia targets hundreds of South Koreans
Protesters gathered in South Korea’s Incheon International Airport while hundreds of deported workers arrived. | Image: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images President Donald Trump is trying to smooth things over with South Korea after his administration arrested hundreds of workers at a Hyundai plant in Georgia earlier this month. Just hours after reports indicated that South Korea would open a human rights investigation into the detention …
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