South Korea Slams U.S. Immigration Raid Detaining 300+ Workers

In early September 2025, a large-scale U.S. immigration enforcement operation at a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, resulted in the detention of approximately 475 individuals, including 316 South Korean nationals and workers of other nationalities.

The operation, executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the ATF, and other agencies, immediately sparked outrage in South Korea.

The detained workers, some of whom entered the U.S. under visa waiver (ESTA) or B-1 business visas, were accused of engaging in employment-related activities that exceeded the scope permitted by their visa categories.

Visuals released from the raid showed detainees handcuffed and shackled in chains around their hands, ankles, and waists, a treatment which South Korean media and public opinion likened to that of prisoners of war. Many of the workers described the operation as resembling a military-style raid, citing the use of helicopters, armored vehicles, and swift deployment tactics.

The footage triggered deep feelings of betrayal in South Korea, with widespread criticism across the political spectrum. The South Korean President and Foreign Ministry intervened to secure the workers’ return.

After approximately a week in detention, a deal was struck, and most of the detainees, including over 300 Koreans, were repatriated on a chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-8i flight. They arrived at Incheon International Airport to emotional reunions, welcomed by senior officials and family members.

Public sentiment in South Korea turned sharply against the treatment of the workers. Many expressed concern that this incident might deter future investment by South Korean companies in the U.S. without clearer and more accommodating visa frameworks.

To address the crisis, both governments agreed to form a joint working group to examine visa complications and to consider establishing a new visa category for technical and skilled Korean workers.

South Korean businesses have long relied on informal or grey-area interpretations of visa regulations to deploy technical staff, especially in the context of high-tech joint ventures, due to chronic delays or quota limitations under the formal H-1B system.

The incident has triggered fears of disrupted timelines for the Georgia battery plant, with analysts estimating a two- to three-month delay in its startup. The raid has also served as a flashpoint in the U.S.–South

Korea's relationship is occurring amid a backdrop of expanding South Korean investment estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars in strategic U.S. industries.

Seoul has indicated that future investment commitments may depend on the U.S.’s willingness to reform immigration policies affecting foreign technical workers.

Source: Reuters; Associated Press; The Guardian