South Korea has reached an agreement with the United States for the release and repatriation of more than 300 of its nationals detained during a large immigration raid at Hyundai’s electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia.
The operation on Thursday saw 475 people, mainly South Korean workers, taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Hyundai-LG joint venture site near Savannah, Georgia. The raid targeted a facility still under construction, one of the state’s largest foreign investment and economic development projects.
South Korea’s Presidential Chief of Staff, Kang Hoon-sik, confirmed that after diplomatic talks, the two countries have finalised a plan to send a charter flight once administrative steps are completed.
ICE shared video footage of workers being lined up, searched, and handcuffed outside the site before being moved to a detention centre in Folkston, Georgia. Steven Schrank, lead investigator for Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, said no charges have yet been filed, and the investigation continues.
The raid reflects ongoing aggressive immigration enforcement policies from the Trump administration, focusing on rooting out illegal employment. Hyundai stated those detained were subcontractors, not direct employees, and is cooperating fully, while LG Energy Solution paused construction to assist authorities.
The South Korean government expressed “concern and regret” about the incident and dispatched diplomats to support its nationals. The agreement to release and repatriate workers helps ease diplomatic tensions and displays the complexities faced by multinational investments amid strict U.S. immigration laws.
The detained workers are expected to return to South Korea imminently.