Koreans detained in Georgia battery plant raid preparing class action lawsuit against ICE
Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 15:38
Updated: 11 Nov. 2025, 19:05
![Detainees stand against a bus before being handcuffed, during a raid by federal agents where about 300 Koreans were among 475 people arrested at the site of a $4.3 billion project by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution to build batteries for electric cars in Ellabell, Georgia, U.S., Sept. 4, in a still image taken from a video. [U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/c2bcba3e-0da5-41f3-9a17-d02569dd0808.jpg)
Detainees stand against a bus before being handcuffed, during a raid by federal agents where about 300 Koreans were among 475 people arrested at the site of a $4.3 billion project by Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution to build batteries for electric cars in Ellabell, Georgia, U.S., Sept. 4, in a still image taken from a video. [U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT]
Korean workers detained during an immigration raid at a Georgia EV battery plant in September are preparing a class-action lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ABC News reported Monday.
Roughly 200 workers, including a man identified as Kim, are accusing ICE of unlawful detention, racial profiling, human rights violations and excessive use of force. The raid targeted a joint Hyundai Motor—LG Energy Solution EV battery factory under construction near Savannah, Georgia.
The Korean workers had entered the United States on B-1 business visas. They were dispatched as skilled technicians to train American employees and help set up production lines.
On the morning of Sept. 4, ICE agents stormed the site, halting operations. “Agents armed with guns stormed the site, helicopters and drones circled overhead — it felt like a scene from a movie,” Kim said.
ICE agents reportedly presented arrest warrants in English, which most of the Korean workers could not fully understand.
![Buses leave the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Folkston, Georgia, with no passengers on Sept. 10 after an agreement to release Korean workers from the facility fell through. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/9802ec89-9ca0-4be4-b242-867c523b47fb.jpg)
Buses leave the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Folkston, Georgia, with no passengers on Sept. 10 after an agreement to release Korean workers from the facility fell through. [YONHAP]
More than 500 workers were detained in the raid, including about 300 Koreans. ICE described it as “the largest-ever enforcement action at a single worksite in U.S. history.”
“They confiscated our phones and chained our wrists, ankles and waists,” Kim said. “We were locked up without knowing why, and the fear was overwhelming.”
Kim also spoke out about the poor conditions inside the detention facility.
“The mattresses were moldy, the toilets had no privacy and we were given foul-smelling water to drink,” he said. “Some guards mocked Asians, referencing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and making slant-eye gestures.”
The detained workers were released and returned to Korea about a week later, following consultations between the Korean and U.S. governments. But many, including Kim, remain frustrated and confused.
![Korean nationals and foreigners are released from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, on Sept. 11, after seven days of confinement. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/11/fa81179b-121f-4d2e-a6ad-8ebd1d2a5ba7.jpg)
Korean nationals and foreigners are released from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, on Sept. 11, after seven days of confinement. [YONHAP]
“We weren’t trying to take anyone’s job or immigrate,” Kim said. “To this day, no one has explained why we were arrested or why we were detained for a week — let alone offered an apology.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told ABC, "Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorizations," and emphasized that "President Trump will continue delivering on his promise to make the United States the best place in the world to do business, while also enforcing federal immigration laws."
Hyundai Motor stated that the Georgia plant is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026 and that construction will proceed in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
“Following this incident, Korea and the United States are in talks to improve the visa system and prevent recurrence,” a Korean Foreign Ministry official said, adding that they are considering measures such as establishing a dedicated visa program for skilled professionals.
Observers warn that the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policy may clash with its efforts to attract large-scale manufacturing investments, raising concerns about broader implications for Korea-U. S. economic cooperation.
“I did nothing wrong. I just hope the truth comes out,” Kim said. “If I have to go to the U.S. for business, so be it — but for leisure, I never want to return.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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