More than 300 South Koreans were among 475 people arrested during a raid on a Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution battery plant under construction in Georgia, the South Korean foreign minister confirmed on Saturday.
The raid, carried out on Thursday, was described as the largest single-site immigration enforcement action under US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal migration.
Steven Schrank, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent in Atlanta, said the operation followed months of criminal investigations into “unlawful employment practices and serious federal crimes” at the Ellabell-based joint venture plant.
“This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses,” Schrank told reporters. “This has been a multi-month criminal investigation.”
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at an emergency meeting in Seoul that his government was deeply troubled by the arrests. “More than 300 are believed to be our nationals. We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over this matter,” he stated, adding that he was ready to travel to Washington for talks if necessary.
Schrank confirmed that those arrested were either undocumented, working without authorization, or had overstayed their visas. They have been transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential deportation.
Reacting to the development, President Trump said: “I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job.”
South Korea had earlier urged the US to ensure its citizens’ rights were respected. “The economic activities of our investors and the legitimate rights and interests of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the course of US law enforcement,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said.
LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its staff were arrested — 46 South Koreans and one Indonesian — while about 250 of those detained were believed to be contractors, mostly South Koreans. The company has suspended business trips to the US and placed employees on standby.
Hyundai, meanwhile, said none of the arrested workers was directly employed by the firm.
Schrank stressed that the operation was meant to safeguard jobs for Americans and protect workers from exploitation.
The plant, when completed, is expected to produce batteries for electric vehicles. South Korea, a leading automaker and electronics producer, has invested heavily in the United States, pledging $350 billion in July as part of efforts to strengthen its industrial footprint and maintain access to the US market.
