South Korean workers detained in US immigration raid to be released

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Sep 2025 14:55

South Korea secured the release of hundreds of its nationals detained in a record ICE raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia.

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Manufacturing plant employees being escorted outside the Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Ellabell, Georgia. (Corey Bullard/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP)

South Korea said Sunday that it had concluded negotiations with Washington over the release of hundreds of its citizens detained during a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai–LG battery plant in Georgia, clearing the way for their return home on a chartered flight.

The arrests took place Thursday at the $4.3 billion Hyundai-LG Energy Solution facility under construction in Ellabell, near Savannah. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), supported by the FBI, DEA, and local police, detained nearly 500 workers in what officials described as the most extensive single-site operation in Homeland Security's history. The raid, dubbed Operation Low Voltage, brought construction to a halt and left Seoul blindsided.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, told reporters the matter had been resolved quickly, "As a result of the swift and united response... negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded. Only administrative procedures remain. Once these are completed, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home."

Footage of the raid released by US authorities showed detainees in handcuffs and ankle chains being loaded onto buses, scenes that sparked outrage in South Korea and prompted urgent intervention by both government officials and corporate executives.

ICE rounding up South Korean workers in a Hyundai and LG factory in Georgia. They are being accused of violating visa requirement for work in the US. pic.twitter.com/bO31o6B5an
— Zhao DaShuai 东北进修🇨🇳 (@zhao_dashuai) September 6, 2025

LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its employees were among those detained, 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian, while roughly 250 workers employed by a subcontractor, mostly South Korean nationals, were also arrested. To contain the damage, LG executive Kim Ki-soo flew to Georgia on Sunday, telling reporters: "The immediate priority now is the swift release of both our LG Energy Solution employees and those of our partner firms."

Hyundai Motor stressed that none of the detained were directly employed by the automaker and insisted its EV rollout plans remain on schedule, even though construction has been suspended. The Georgia battery plant is part of Hyundai's $12.6 billion investment in the state, which Governor Brian Kemp has hailed as the largest industrial project in Georgia's history.

Strained Ties

The enforcement action comes at a sensitive moment for US-South Korea relations. Seoul recently pledged $150 billion in American investments, including $26 billion from Hyundai, as part of a wider $350 billion package with Washington aimed at boosting cooperation in energy, shipbuilding, and high-tech industries. Analysts warn that high-profile raids of this scale could strain ties just as both governments are seeking to project stability in their economic partnership.

Beyond diplomacy, the incident has raised questions about labor practices at major foreign-backed construction projects and shed light on the risks of Trump's aggressive anti-migrant drive for global corporations operating in the United States.