An ICE Immigration Raid at a Hyundai Plant in Georgia Captured 300 South Koreans
South Korea's president vowed “all-out necessary measures” to support the detainees.
Published Sept. 8 2025, 2:51 p.m. ET
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been making the news throughout 2025, as raids around the U.S. have kept countless communities on edge. From the so-called Alligator Alcatraz in Florida to other detention centers around the country, ICE agents have been corralling immigrants in mass quantities.
The latest immigration raid occurred at a unique location in the state of Georgia, prompting many to wonder what will befall some 300 South Korean detainees.
Why were 300 South Korean nationals detained by ICE agents, and where did the agents target these immigrants? What has the South Korean government said to this point about the fate of the 300 detained South Koreans?
We answer these questions, and more, below. Continue reading to learn more about the latest ICE raids in Georgia and what may come next for the 300 South Korean detainees.
A South Korean immigration raid occurred in Georgia.
As CNN reports, hundreds of officials spanning multiple U.S. agencies arrived at a Hyundai manufacturing plant with a search warrant targeting just four people. What ended up happening, however, was the arrest and detainment of more than 450 people, including more than 300 South Koreans.
"The high-stakes raid followed a weeks-long investigation and marked the largest sweep yet in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown at US worksites," according to the CNN report.
"It’s unclear what kind of visas the Korean nationals working at the plant had," the CNN report explains. "Some of the 475 detained entered the U.S. illegally, according to Steven Schrank, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge, while others had overstayed their visas. Others were in here under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows workers to travel for tourism or business for up to 90 days, and had subsequently been prohibited from working."
Hyundai, it should be noted, is headquartered in South Korea, according to the Hyundai website. The stakes are high for the global car brand and the South Korean government following the detainment of the 300-plus Korean nationals.
Speaking of, how has the South Korean government responded in the wake of this ICE immigration raid?
South Korea response to ICE raid:
As stated in the CNN TikTok above, "South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed 'all-out necessary measures' to support the more than 300 Korean nationals ICE detained."
Furthermore, per CNN, the South Korean detainees are on a unique, perhaps first-of-its-kind chartered flight back to South Korea.
“The government will ensure that all necessary measures are effectively implemented to achieve both the swift release of our detained citizens and the stable implementation of the investment projects,” South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said, per the report.
"Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Hyun left Seoul Monday evening local time for Washington, DC, as Seoul works to bring back the nationals as soon as possible 'by voluntary departure,' the ministry spokesperson’s office said."
President Lee, per TIME, "emphasized that in the course of U.S. law enforcement, the rights of our people and the economic activities of South Korean investors in the U.S. must not be unjustly infringed upon.”
Indeed, as TIME reports, "Trump’s crackdown in Georgia may undo some of that diplomacy, particularly as it targeted South Korea’s largest auto manufacturer." What comes next in terms of U.S.-South Korea relations, only time will tell.