Overview
- Homeland Security agents detained 475 workers at the Ellabell, Georgia, battery project on Sept. 4, including more than 300 South Korean nationals shown in ICE video wearing shackles.
- A Korean Air 747 dispatched from Incheon reached Atlanta to repatriate detainees, but Seoul said departures were delayed by unresolved U.S. procedures as talks continued in Washington.
- South Korean officials say a tentative arrangement would allow voluntary departures rather than deportations, a path that avoids multi‑year bans on returning to the United States.
- U.S. authorities cite illegal entry, overstays and unauthorized employment, while attorneys contend many detainees are specialized engineers or installers present under B‑1 or visa‑waiver status.
- Construction linked to the Hyundai–LG site has paused, and Korean media report at least 22 U.S. projects were suspended as investors reassess plans and seek clearer visa options for skilled staff.