Over 300 Korean workers take legal action against US gov't over Georgia raid

More than 300 South Korean workers detained in a 2025 immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia have begun steps toward 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 workers allege unlawful detention, poor conditions, and damages including lost work, confiscated belongings and psychological harm.

The claims are being filed with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and the departments of Justice and Labor.

A Korean attorney representing the workers 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, 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.

Some of the South Korean workers have since returned to the United States to work at battery plants, and in some cases used the same B-1 visas they held during the raid.

Published Sep 16, 2026 12:31 am KST

Updated Sep 16, 2026 1:21 am KST

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 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.

在佐治亚州现代汽车集团-LG能源解决方案公司电池工厂，300多名韩国工人因2025年移民局突袭而被拘留。他们已开始着手对美国政府提起诉讼。在根据《联邦侵权索赔法》提起诉讼之前，他们正向九个联邦机构提交行政申诉。这些工人指控美国政府非法拘留、工作条件恶劣，并遭受了包括误工、财物被没收和精神伤害在内的损失。

这些索赔已提交给九个联邦机构，包括国土安全部、移民和海关执法局、海关和边境保护局、联邦调查局以及司法部和劳工部。

代表这些工人的韩国律师表示，她计划在年底前代表所有工人提出索赔。

在佐治亚州埃拉贝尔的现代汽车制造厂，联邦当局在行动中拘留了 475 名工人，其中大部分是韩国人。

据 CNN 报道，此次行动的搜查令只确定了四名目标人员，其中没有一人是被拘留的韩国工人。

一些韩国工人后来返回美国，在电池厂工作，有些工人使用了他们在突袭行动期间持有的 B-1 签证。

发布于2026年9月16日凌晨12:31（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月16日凌晨1点21分（韩国标准时间）

这张来自美联社发布的视频截图显示，9月4日，在佐治亚州埃拉贝尔市的现代汽车集团电动汽车工厂，一些制造厂员工正在等待被戴上脚镣。图片由美国移民和海关执法局提供。

西雅图——据美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）周二报道，去年在佐治亚州现代汽车集团-LG能源解决方案合资电池工厂发生的一起备受瞩目的移民突袭事件中被拘留的300多名韩国工人已开始采取措施，准备对美国政府提起法律诉讼。

工人们已开始向九个联邦机构提交行政索赔申请，其中包括国土安全部、移民和海关执法局 (ICE)、海关和边境保护局、联邦调查局以及司法部和劳工部。

这些备案文件是工人们根据《联邦侵权索赔法》对联邦政府提起诉讼的必要步骤。一位代表这些工人的韩国律师表示，她计划在年底前代表所有工人提交索赔申请。

诉讼称，工人们在2025年9月4日的突袭行动中遭到非法拘留，并在移民及海关执法局（ICE）拘留中心遭受恶劣待遇。他们要求赔偿损失，包括误工费、被没收的财物以及精神损害等。

联邦当局在佐治亚州埃拉贝尔市庞大的现代汽车制造厂开展行动，拘留了475名工人，其中大部分是韩国人。据美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，此次行动的搜查令仅列出了四名目标人员，但被拘留的韩国工人中没有一人。

美国国土安全部表示，移民及海关执法局（ICE）执行了司法搜查令，这是对涉嫌非法雇佣行为和其他联邦犯罪调查的一部分。当局当时表示，被拘留者涉嫌在美国非法居住或工作。

一些韩国工人后来返回美国，在电池工厂工作，有些工人使用的还是他们在佐治亚州突袭事件发生时持有的 B-1 签证。