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4d ago

U.S., South Korea Reach Deal to Repatriate More Than 300 Workers Detained in Georgia Hyundai–LG Raid

Seoul will charter a flight once processing finishes, with U.S. agents continuing a months-long probe into alleged unlawful hiring at the construction site.

This image from video provided by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, in Ellabell, Georgia, on September 4, 2025.
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Overview

  • Talks concluded over the weekend to release and return South Korean nationals detained in the Sept. 4 operation, and Yonhap reported the group will likely fly home on Wednesday.
  • U.S. authorities said 475 people were detained in the largest single-site enforcement action by Homeland Security Investigations, with most sent to a Folkston, Georgia processing center and no charges announced so far.
  • ICE-released footage showed workers lined up, frisked, and shackled, underscoring the scale and optics of the raid at the Hyundai–LG battery and EV complex west of Savannah.
  • Accounts of workers’ status diverged, as LG Energy Solution said some detained included employees and executives on business trips or visa waivers, while investigators said many lacked authorization to work.
  • Companies and officials moved to limit fallout, with LG suspending most U.S. business travel, Hyundai advising delays, construction activity temporarily paused per local reporting, and the White House’s Tom Homan signaling more workplace raids as President Trump urged investors to follow immigration laws.