South Korean workers caught in the sweeping U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia have described in vivid detail the fear, humiliation, and uncertainty they endured. Their return to Seoul after a week in detention has triggered relief at home but also left lingering anger toward Washington, raising questions about how one of the largest immigration enforcement operations in U.S. history will affect bilateral relations and future investments.
A Raid That Felt Like a Military Operation
The raid unfolded on September 4, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), assisted by federal agencies including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, descended on the sprawling battery plant under construction in Georgia. Witnesses described a scene more akin to a military strike than a workplace inspection. Helicopters hovered overhead, armored vehicles blocked exits, and within minutes armed officers had fanned out across the complex.
“They surrounded us in less than ten minutes,” one returning worker said. “It felt like a battlefield. None of us expected that the first day at work would end in handcuffs.”
Authorities ordered employees to line up, separated them by visa type, and detained those on temporary business visas or visa-waiver entries. Phones were confiscated, preventing workers from contacting families in South Korea or even local representatives. For many, the silence was the hardest part. “I didn’t know if my family even knew where I was,” recalled an engineer who spent six nights in custody.
In total, 475 workers were detained, including more than 300 South Korean nationals — the largest single-site action ever carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Life Inside the Detention Center
After the raid, workers were transported to a detention facility in Folkston, Georgia. Accounts from the released detainees paint a grim picture. Detainees were shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles during transport. At the center, they were housed in crowded conditions with minimal privacy.
“The food was terrible, and the water smelled of bleach,” one engineer said. “Some of us couldn’t eat for days. It felt like punishment rather than an immigration process.”
Others described being treated “like criminals,” despite having arrived in the United States legally. Several were arrested on their very first day of work, unaware that their visa status might be deemed inadequate for the tasks they were assigned.
Family members in South Korea watched in horror as images emerged of the detained workers in chains. “I was furious to see an ally treating my brother this way,” said the sibling of one subcontractor. The photographs sparked public outrage, with commentators in Seoul accusing Washington of showing disrespect to a key economic and security partner.
Diplomatic Wrangling and Emotional Reunions
What followed was a week of intense negotiations between Seoul and Washington. South Korea dispatched senior officials, including its foreign minister, to press for the workers’ release. At one point, the return of the detainees was delayed due to political intervention from Washington, deepening anxiety for families waiting at Incheon airport.
When the chartered flight finally landed, scenes of relief unfolded. Tearful reunions, hugs, and cheers greeted the workers as they disembarked, many still visibly shaken by the ordeal. South Korean presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik was present at the airport, underscoring the political importance Seoul attached to the incident. “This affected innocent people,” he told reporters. “It shows how difficult it has become to manage relations with the United States under constantly shifting rules.”
U.S. officials defended the operation, arguing that the workers had violated the terms of their visas by performing labor not permitted under business or visa-waiver entries. They stressed that immigration law must be enforced consistently, regardless of nationality.
Yet, even as workers were being held, President Donald Trump reportedly suggested that they should be allowed to remain in the United States temporarily to help train American employees. The offer was seen in Seoul as contradictory and even cynical, given the harsh treatment during detention. “Nobody wants to stay after this,” one engineer remarked. “Why would we train others here when we were treated as criminals?”
For many workers, the ordeal may cast a shadow on their future careers. Several expressed fear that they would struggle to obtain U.S. visas again, a serious concern in industries where frequent business travel is essential.
Shockwaves Through South Korea
The raid has become a flashpoint in South Korea, where public anger has been directed both at Washington and at the companies involved. Critics argue that Hyundai and LG failed to provide proper visa arrangements for their workers, while others place responsibility squarely on U.S. authorities for what they describe as heavy-handed tactics.
At Incheon airport, one man unfurled a large poster depicting President Trump in an ICE uniform carrying bags of money, with a caption reading: “We’re friends!” The protest captured the frustration many South Koreans felt — that an ally had allowed an incident to spiral into humiliation for ordinary citizens.
Political voices have also entered the fray. Lawmakers from opposition parties demanded stronger safeguards for Korean workers abroad, while business groups warned that the raid could chill investment. “Companies will think twice before sending skilled workers to the U.S.,” one industry leader said.
Implications for U.S.–Korea Business Ties
The timing of the raid could hardly have been more sensitive. The Georgia plant is part of a $7.6 billion project to build battery facilities for electric vehicles, one of the largest South Korean industrial investments in the United States. Hyundai and LG have touted the plant as a symbol of deepening cooperation in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Now, however, the project faces at least a two- to three-month delay, company officials confirmed. That setback not only disrupts production schedules but also complicates U.S. goals of securing domestic supply chains for electric vehicle batteries.
In South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung warned that the incident might discourage future investments, even as Washington has been actively courting foreign companies to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. The irony of U.S. authorities detaining workers essential to one of America’s flagship industrial policies has not gone unnoticed.
A Broader Debate on Immigration Enforcement
The Georgia raid highlights a deeper dilemma for the United States: balancing strict immigration enforcement with the need for skilled foreign workers in strategic industries. South Korean companies have long complained of difficulties in obtaining proper visas for engineers and technicians required for long-term projects.
Seoul and Washington are now exploring the possibility of a new visa category tailored to such needs. Whether that materializes remains uncertain, but business leaders insist it is essential to avoid further disruptions.
For the workers who endured the raid, however, policy debates offer little comfort. Many say they have lost trust in the United States and are unsure if they will ever return for work. “We came to build something important, not to break the law,” one engineer said. “But after this, it’s hard to believe the U.S. is a safe place for us to work.”
(Source:www.reuters.com)
A Raid That Felt Like a Military Operation
The raid unfolded on September 4, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), assisted by federal agencies including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, descended on the sprawling battery plant under construction in Georgia. Witnesses described a scene more akin to a military strike than a workplace inspection. Helicopters hovered overhead, armored vehicles blocked exits, and within minutes armed officers had fanned out across the complex.
“They surrounded us in less than ten minutes,” one returning worker said. “It felt like a battlefield. None of us expected that the first day at work would end in handcuffs.”
Authorities ordered employees to line up, separated them by visa type, and detained those on temporary business visas or visa-waiver entries. Phones were confiscated, preventing workers from contacting families in South Korea or even local representatives. For many, the silence was the hardest part. “I didn’t know if my family even knew where I was,” recalled an engineer who spent six nights in custody.
In total, 475 workers were detained, including more than 300 South Korean nationals — the largest single-site action ever carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Life Inside the Detention Center
After the raid, workers were transported to a detention facility in Folkston, Georgia. Accounts from the released detainees paint a grim picture. Detainees were shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles during transport. At the center, they were housed in crowded conditions with minimal privacy.
“The food was terrible, and the water smelled of bleach,” one engineer said. “Some of us couldn’t eat for days. It felt like punishment rather than an immigration process.”
Others described being treated “like criminals,” despite having arrived in the United States legally. Several were arrested on their very first day of work, unaware that their visa status might be deemed inadequate for the tasks they were assigned.
Family members in South Korea watched in horror as images emerged of the detained workers in chains. “I was furious to see an ally treating my brother this way,” said the sibling of one subcontractor. The photographs sparked public outrage, with commentators in Seoul accusing Washington of showing disrespect to a key economic and security partner.
Diplomatic Wrangling and Emotional Reunions
What followed was a week of intense negotiations between Seoul and Washington. South Korea dispatched senior officials, including its foreign minister, to press for the workers’ release. At one point, the return of the detainees was delayed due to political intervention from Washington, deepening anxiety for families waiting at Incheon airport.
When the chartered flight finally landed, scenes of relief unfolded. Tearful reunions, hugs, and cheers greeted the workers as they disembarked, many still visibly shaken by the ordeal. South Korean presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik was present at the airport, underscoring the political importance Seoul attached to the incident. “This affected innocent people,” he told reporters. “It shows how difficult it has become to manage relations with the United States under constantly shifting rules.”
U.S. officials defended the operation, arguing that the workers had violated the terms of their visas by performing labor not permitted under business or visa-waiver entries. They stressed that immigration law must be enforced consistently, regardless of nationality.
Yet, even as workers were being held, President Donald Trump reportedly suggested that they should be allowed to remain in the United States temporarily to help train American employees. The offer was seen in Seoul as contradictory and even cynical, given the harsh treatment during detention. “Nobody wants to stay after this,” one engineer remarked. “Why would we train others here when we were treated as criminals?”
For many workers, the ordeal may cast a shadow on their future careers. Several expressed fear that they would struggle to obtain U.S. visas again, a serious concern in industries where frequent business travel is essential.
Shockwaves Through South Korea
The raid has become a flashpoint in South Korea, where public anger has been directed both at Washington and at the companies involved. Critics argue that Hyundai and LG failed to provide proper visa arrangements for their workers, while others place responsibility squarely on U.S. authorities for what they describe as heavy-handed tactics.
At Incheon airport, one man unfurled a large poster depicting President Trump in an ICE uniform carrying bags of money, with a caption reading: “We’re friends!” The protest captured the frustration many South Koreans felt — that an ally had allowed an incident to spiral into humiliation for ordinary citizens.
Political voices have also entered the fray. Lawmakers from opposition parties demanded stronger safeguards for Korean workers abroad, while business groups warned that the raid could chill investment. “Companies will think twice before sending skilled workers to the U.S.,” one industry leader said.
Implications for U.S.–Korea Business Ties
The timing of the raid could hardly have been more sensitive. The Georgia plant is part of a $7.6 billion project to build battery facilities for electric vehicles, one of the largest South Korean industrial investments in the United States. Hyundai and LG have touted the plant as a symbol of deepening cooperation in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Now, however, the project faces at least a two- to three-month delay, company officials confirmed. That setback not only disrupts production schedules but also complicates U.S. goals of securing domestic supply chains for electric vehicle batteries.
In South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung warned that the incident might discourage future investments, even as Washington has been actively courting foreign companies to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. The irony of U.S. authorities detaining workers essential to one of America’s flagship industrial policies has not gone unnoticed.
A Broader Debate on Immigration Enforcement
The Georgia raid highlights a deeper dilemma for the United States: balancing strict immigration enforcement with the need for skilled foreign workers in strategic industries. South Korean companies have long complained of difficulties in obtaining proper visas for engineers and technicians required for long-term projects.
Seoul and Washington are now exploring the possibility of a new visa category tailored to such needs. Whether that materializes remains uncertain, but business leaders insist it is essential to avoid further disruptions.
For the workers who endured the raid, however, policy debates offer little comfort. Many say they have lost trust in the United States and are unsure if they will ever return for work. “We came to build something important, not to break the law,” one engineer said. “But after this, it’s hard to believe the U.S. is a safe place for us to work.”
(Source:www.reuters.com)
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