Over 300 Korean workers take legal action against US gov't over Georgia raid
Summary
More than 300 South Korean workers detained in a Georgia immigration raid have begun steps to take legal action against the U.S. government. They are filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies before pursuing lawsuits under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The claims say they were unlawfully detained on Sept. 4, 2025, held in poor conditions, and suffered lost work, confiscated belongings and psychological harm.
Key Facts
- The workers are filing claims with nine federal agencies, including DHS, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the departments of justice and labor.
- A Korean attorney representing them said she aims to file claims on behalf of all of them by the end of the year.
- Federal authorities detained 475 workers during the operation at the Hyundai manufacturing complex in Ellabell, Georgia, and most of those detained were South Koreans.
- The search warrant underlying the operation identified just four target individuals, none of whom were among the Korean workers detained, according to CNN.
- Some of the South Korean workers have since returned to the U.S. to work at battery plants, in some cases using the same B-1 visas they held during the raid.
This image from a video released by the Associated Press shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Ga., Sept. 4. Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
SEATTLE — More than 300 South Korean workers detained in a high-profile immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia last year have begun taking steps toward legal action against the U.S. government, CNN reported Tuesday.
The workers have started filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and the departments of justice and labor.
The filings are a required step before the workers can pursue lawsuits against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. A Korean attorney representing the workers said she aims to file claims on behalf of all of them by the end of the year.
The claims allege that workers were unlawfully detained during the raid on Sept. 4, 2025, and subjected to poor conditions while held at an ICE detention facility. They are seeking damages for lost work, confiscated belongings and psychological harm, among other claims.
Federal authorities detained 475 workers during the operation at the sprawling Hyundai manufacturing complex in Ellabell, Georgia, most of them South Koreans. The search warrant underlying the operation identified just four target individuals, none of whom were among the Korean workers detained, according to CNN.
DHS said ICE executed a judicial search warrant as part of an investigation into alleged unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes. Authorities said at the time that those detained were suspected of living or working illegally in the United States.
Some of the South Korean workers have since returned to the U.S. to work at battery plants, in some cases using the same B-1 visas they held at the time of the Georgia raid.
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