South Korean Workers Detained in Georgia Immigration Raid to Return Home

Sat Sep 13 2025 10:46:28 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

After a significant immigration raid at a Georgia battery factory, more than 300 South Korean workers are en route to their homeland following their release from detention.

More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid last week are being transported from a detention center in Georgia to Atlanta, where a charter flight awaits to take them home. The U.S. and South Korea are negotiating to ensure that these workers can leave voluntarily, with the goal of preventing future complications with their eligibility to return to the U.S. South Korean officials have expressed concern over the handling of the situation.

ATLANTA (AP) - A group of South Korean workers detained during an immigration enforcement operation at a Georgia battery factory is now heading home. The workers, numbering over 300, were apprehended in a raid affecting about 475 employees at the facility, which is located on Hyundai's expansive auto manufacturing campus near Savannah.

On Thursday, authorities began transporting the released workers from a detention center in Folkston, southeast Georgia, to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. A charter flight, operated by Korean Air, is scheduled to take off by noon, carrying the workers back to South Korea.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that U.S. officials released 330 detainees, including 316 from Korea alongside 10 Chinese, three Japanese, and one Indonesian national. The operation and subsequent detentions sparked a call for reforms in the U.S. visa system from South Korea's President, Lee Jae Myung, who noted that the uncertainty surrounding the visa process could deter future investments from Korean companies in the U.S.

In light of the situation, the South Korean government is working closely with U.S. officials to secure voluntary departures for the detained workers to avoid deportations—a process that would render the workers ineligible to return to the U.S. for up to 10 years.

During a visit to Washington, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun discussed the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Cho expressed emotional distress on behalf of the workers, noting the significant anxiety caused by the public release of arrest footage. He urged American authorities to facilitate a smooth departure for the detainees, ensuring they do not face future re-entry issues.