Breaking: South Korean Immigration Raid in Georgia — Key Details on Arrests, Charges & Community Impact

Updated 8 September 2025 — Federal and South Korean officials confirmed Monday that most of the 475 people swept up in last week’s U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai-affiliated auto-parts plant in West Point, Georgia, will be released and repatriated within days. More than 300 of those detained were South Korean nationals, making the operation the largest U.S. immigration action involving Korean citizens in recent memory. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said a charter flight is being arranged to bring the workers home, while Seoul and Washington finalize paperwork that will allow detainees to avoid extended stays in U.S. detention centers. Key details of the Georgia immigration raid • Location: Hyundai Mobis supplier facility, West Point, Georgia • Agencies involved: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), local sheriff’s deputies • Number detained: 475 total, including 310 South Korean citizens, 92 Guatemalans, 38 Mexicans and 35 from other nations, according to DHS figures • Alleged violations: working without proper authorization, visa overstay, suspected labor-brokerage scheme Why the raid happened Homeland Security officials say an ongoing investigation uncovered a pipeline of foreign workers, largely recruited in South Korea, who entered the United States on travel visas and were funneled to the Georgia plant through subcontractors. Authorities allege the workers were paid below-market wages and were threatened with deportation if they complained, a scenario that violates both U.S. labor law and federal immigration statutes. Diplomatic fallout and rapid response News of the South Korean immigration raid in Georgia sparked immediate diplomatic engagement. Seoul dispatched a rapid-response consular team to Atlanta within hours, while South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister held an emergency video call with senior officials at the U.S. State Department to secure legal access and translation services for the detainees. In a statement, Hyundai said it was “cooperating fully” with investigators and has launched an internal audit of all third-party labor contracts. The company stressed that none of the detained individuals were direct employees but worked for outside staffing firms. Economic and political implications The raid comes at a sensitive time for U.S.–South Korea trade relations. Hyundai is already investing $5.5 billion in an electric-vehicle factory near Savannah, Georgia, and state officials fear the immigration sweep could chill foreign investment. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called on federal agencies to “balance national security with economic security,” while former President Donald Trump said at a rally that “more raids are coming” as part of a wider immigration crackdown. What happens next • Repatriation flights: South Korea expects the first charter to depart Atlanta by mid-week, carrying roughly 200 detainees with no outstanding criminal warrants. • Ongoing probe: ICE and the U.S. Department of Labor are investigating at least three staffing firms for possible human-trafficking offenses. • Visa reviews: U.S. consular officials in Seoul will tighten scrutiny of B-1/B-2 visa applicants who list “factory tours” or “training” as their purpose of travel. • Congressional hearing: The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a September 15 hearing titled “The Georgia Hyundai Raid and the Future of Worksite Enforcement.” Search-engine takeaway Readers looking for the latest updates on the South Korean immigration raid in Georgia should monitor announcements from ICE, the South Korean Foreign Ministry and Hyundai. Expect developments on repatriation logistics, criminal charges against labor brokers and potential policy shifts affecting Korean professionals in America’s manufacturing sector.