South Korean workers caught in US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG Plant in Georgia

Officials said most of those detained were South Korean nationals suspected of working illegally in the United States.

The raid took place at the $350 billion battery plant project in Ellabell, which had earlier been touted by Georgia leaders as the state’s largest economic development investment and a cornerstone of U.S. electric vehicle production.

A video released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday showed a caravan of enforcement vehicles approaching the construction site before agents directed workers in hardhats and safety vests to line up outside.

The raid comes against the backdrop of strained U.S.–South Korea relations following Washington’s imposition of tariffs on imported goods and ongoing disputes over trade terms.

Seoul has pressed for assurances on investment protections, while Washington DC has sought greater concessions in market access.

Despite the diplomatic tension, the Hyundai–LG facility remains a critical project, intended to produce batteries for electric vehicles in line with U.S. efforts to expand domestic manufacturing capacity.

Further footage circulating on social media captured a man wearing a vest marked HIS- an acronym for Homeland Security Investigations- telling workers: “We have a search warrant for the whole site. We need construction to cease immediately. We need all the work to end on the site right now.”

Some detainees were ordered to press their hands against a bus as they were frisked before being shackled at the hands, ankles and waist. Others were restrained with plastic ties as they boarded a Georgia inmate-transfer bus.

One construction worker described the scene as resembling a “war zone.” Speaking anonymously to CNN, he said, “They just told everybody to get on the wall. We stood there for about an hour and were then taken to another section where we waited. Then we went inside another building and got processed.”

Agents reportedly asked each worker to provide their Social Security number, date of birth, and other identification details.

Those determined to be lawfully present in the United States were given a slip of paper stamped “clear to depart” to present to officers stationed at the site’s exit gates.