"Taken Away Without Even Their Phones...Shocking": Korean Employee Recounts U.S. Immigration Raid Ordeal

"Learned About the Raid After a Call from the Company"

Amid the arrest of more than 300 Koreans at the joint battery factory construction site of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, USA, a Korean employee has shared what it was like during the chaotic situation.

U.S. immigration enforcement authorities released a video on their official website on the 4th (local time) showing the site of an illegal residency and employment crackdown at the joint battery factory construction site of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On September 8, Yonhap News Agency, citing the BBC, reported an interview with a Korean employee who was present at the site of the immigration raid at the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery factory (HL-GA Battery Company) in Savannah, Georgia, on the 4th.

According to the report, the employee said he became aware of the U.S. immigration authorities' raid after receiving a call from the company. He explained, "I received calls from several lines, all instructing us to halt operations."

Although he himself was working legally, his colleagues who were detained were not. The detained colleagues were taken away without their mobile phones, which were left in the office, leaving them unable to contact their families. He said, "The phones kept ringing, but we had to leave them locked in the office, so we couldn't answer."

According to U.S. authorities, some employees attempted to flee, and a few even jumped into a nearby wastewater pond. Afterwards, the detainees were separated based on their nationality and visa status, and after processing, they were transported in several buses.

Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has continued a large-scale crackdown on undocumented immigrants under the "America First" policy. The employee said this immigration raid was "shocking, but not surprising," adding, "Their slogan is 'America First,' and as long as you work legally in the U.S., there should be no problem."

He explained that, due to the lengthy and complicated administrative procedures involved in obtaining U.S. visas, companies sometimes resort to irregular methods to meet construction deadlines. He emphasized, "It's important to understand that this work is highly specialized, involving construction facilities and production line machinery. That's why it's difficult to find other companies in the U.S. to do this work, and for that reason, experts were brought in from Korea."

The Korean community in Georgia is experiencing heightened anxiety due to this incident. Savannah Korean Association President Cho Da-hye (Ruby Gould) said, "Even Koreans who are working legally or have citizenship are feeling uneasy," and described the atmosphere as one of shock and sorrow throughout the local community.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the raid at the Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint battery factory construction site in Georgia, detaining a total of 475 people, including more than 300 Koreans. The Korean workers currently detained at the facility in Georgia are expected to board a charter flight to Korea as early as the 10th.