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4d ago

U.S., South Korea Set Charter Return for Koreans Detained in Georgia Battery-Site Raid

Voluntary departures follow negotiations over visa use for specialized technicians.

This image from a video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and released by the Associated Press shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2025. (Yonhap)
The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Picture taken on August 23, 2016. Courtesy Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File photo
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Overview

  • Homeland Security says roughly 475 people were detained in the Sept. 4 operation at the Hyundai–LG battery project near Savannah, the agency’s largest single-site workplace enforcement to date.
  • About 300 South Korean nationals have confirmed to consular officials that they will leave voluntarily, with a charter flight being arranged following talks between the two governments.
  • Consular staff met detainees at ICE facilities in Folkston and Stewart to complete required processing, including issuance of alien registration numbers before travel.
  • Attorneys say many of the Koreans were short‑term engineers or equipment installers working under B‑1 or ESTA business‑visitor terms, while labor groups allege some were performing disallowed construction work.
  • Hyundai says none of those detained were its direct employees, and President Trump urged investors to follow U.S. immigration law while saying the U.S. will make legal entry easier for foreign battery experts.