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A screenshot of a video provided by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows plant employees being detained at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant, in Ellabell, Georgia, on September 4, 2025.
US Immigration and Customs/Reuters
More than 300 South Korean workers detained during a major immigration raid at a Hyundai-linked electric-vehicle facility in Georgia have begun taking legal action against the United States government, reopening questions about the treatment of migrant workers, due process and the consequences of aggressive immigration enforcement.
The legal action stems from a September 4, 2025, raid at a Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. Federal authorities detained 475 people during the operation, most of them South Korean nationals. U.S. officials described it at the time as the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.
A raid that triggered diplomatic concern
The operation took place at a major industrial project involving Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. Federal authorities said the raid formed part of an investigation into alleged unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes.
Images of workers being handcuffed and shackled attracted significant attention in South Korea. According to Reuters, some workers had their phones confiscated and were unable to immediately contact family members after being detained.
The incident also became a diplomatic issue between Washington and Seoul. South Korean authorities subsequently negotiated the release of hundreds of their nationals, many of whom returned home on a charter flight after spending approximately a week in U.S. custody.
The episode was particularly sensitive because the workers were connected to a major South Korean investment in the United States, raising broader questions about how immigration enforcement intersects with international investment and the movement of skilled workers.
Workers allege unlawful detention and mistreatment.
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The agencies include the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Labour. Lawyers representing the workers say they intend to file claims on behalf of more than 300 South Korean nationals by the end of 2026.
According to the claims described by CNN and other outlets, the workers allege that they were unlawfully arrested and detained, in some cases without adequate explanations or access to interpreters. They are seeking compensation for matters including lost work, confiscated belongings and psychological harm. The allegations also include false imprisonment, abuse of process and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
These are allegations at this stage. The filing of administrative claims does not establish that the government acted unlawfully, and any eventual lawsuit would require the claims to be examined through the legal process.
The question of immigration status
One of the most important issues emerging from the dispute is the complexity of immigration status and employment authorisation.
U.S. authorities maintained that the raid was part of an investigation into unlawful employment practices and other federal offences. Some of the people detained, according to authorities, were unlawfully present or were working under immigration arrangements that did not authorise the employment they were performing. However, some workers have disputed the circumstances of their detention and said they possessed valid documentation or believed they were lawfully present in the United States.
Immigration enforcement does not eliminate the requirement that government authorities operate within the legal limits governing searches, arrests, detention and treatment of individuals in custody.
A separate claim highlights the wider controversy.
A Colombian worker, Alfredo Fajardo Melgarejo, has also filed a Federal Tort Claims Act claim relating to the raid. He alleges that he was arrested despite presenting documentation concerning his immigration status and work authorisation and was subjected to prolonged detention. His attorneys are seeking damages for alleged unlawful conduct and mistreatment.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Fajardo alleges he spent months in immigration detention before eventually being deported. His account includes allegations that he was unable to contact his family for several days after his arrest. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has disputed the characterisation of detention conditions, saying ICE facilities are subject to inspections and that detainees receive meals, water, medical treatment and opportunities to communicate with family members and lawyers.
Source: CNN
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