South Korean workers file claims after Georgia Hyundai plant raid

More than 300 South Korean workers are filing administrative claims against the U.S. government following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai and LG Energy Solution electric vehicle battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. The raid, which occurred in September 2025, resulted in the detention of 475 individuals, the majority of whom were South Korean nationals.

Legal representatives for the workers have initiated claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Labor. The claimants allege illegal imprisonment, abuse of procedure, and the infliction of mental anguish. Workers reported being shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles, and being forced to sign documents they could not understand without translation assistance.

One Colombian worker, Alfredo Fajardo Melgarejo, has filed a $2 million tort claim, alleging excessive force and a nine-month detention. The DHS has denied allegations of excessive force, stating that ICE executed a judicial search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into unlawful employment practices. Authorities noted that while some detainees held work permits, such permits do not inherently grant legal immigration status.