Deploying Armored Vehicles... What Is ICE, the Agency That Raided a Local Plant and Detained 300 Koreans? [News Seolcham]

Established for National Security After 9/11 Attacks
Fighting International Crime with Overseas Offices
Rapid Militarization Concerns in Trump's Second Term

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning "please refer to the explanation for more details." In [News Seolcham], we aim to pinpoint and provide further explanations for parts of the news that require fact-checking or additional context.

Concerns are mounting over the militarization of immigration law enforcement by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following its raid and arrest of Korean workers at the Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution joint venture construction site in Georgia. Although ICE is an immigration law enforcement agency, it has increasingly adopted a military character, with heavily armed agents and support from helicopters and armored vehicles.

Established 23 Years Ago, Born for 'Security Purposes' After 9/11

On the 4th (local time), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided Hyundai Motor's electric vehicle factory in Ellabell, Georgia, USA, lining up workers to handcuff them. Photo by AP Yonhap News

ICE is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and was established in March 2003, making it relatively young among federal agencies. It was created under the Homeland Security Act, enacted after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with the aim of strengthening national security and public safety. Its main responsibilities include enforcing immigration laws and investigating border-related crimes. ICE is also active in various areas related to national security, such as preventing terrorism and arresting high-risk individuals and organizations.

ICE wields significant authority. It conducts extensive immigration enforcement operations with support from helicopters and vehicles belonging to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and it also maintains its own heavily armed special response teams. Currently, ICE operates 400 offices and employs 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel. Of these, 90 offices are located overseas. On its website, ICE explains that this is to "detect and deter the threat of international criminal organizations before it reaches the U.S. mainland."

Trump's 'Deportation' Policy at the Core... Growing Concerns Over Militarization

While ICE does not have the legal authority to requisition large-scale military equipment, there are claims that the militarization of immigration law enforcement is possible because of joint operations in which the President deploys the National Guard to enforcement sites, after which ICE agents apprehend immigrants.

The U.S. President can mobilize the National Guard for the purpose of suppressing civil unrest. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the National Guard cannot directly participate in law enforcement, but it can provide support by controlling or securing the surrounding area during ICE immigration enforcement operations. For example, on June 7, President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area, after which ICE agents conducted large-scale enforcement operations, following this process.

Agents are conducting operations while ICE detains protesters and a standoff occurs between police and protesters in Los Angeles, California, USA. Photo by Reuters

This operation was temporarily halted on July 11, when the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Court of Appeals issued an injunction, stating that "profiling specific individuals based on appearance, race, residence, or occupation to detain them as undocumented immigrants is not permitted." However, it resumed on August 8, when the Supreme Court accepted the Trump administration's request to lift the injunction.

William Banks, Director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, commented, "The U.S. military exists to protect the country from external threats. It should not be abused to meet immigrant deportation quotas," voicing concerns about the militarization of ICE's immigration law enforcement.

The Trump administration, which pledged to deport undocumented immigrants, has also made direct investments in ICE. The "One Big Beautiful Bill," signed by President Trump on July 4, includes a provision to invest $45 billion in ICE over the next four years. The funds will be used to expand detention centers, train new agents, and purchase transportation equipment for deporting immigrants.

Meanwhile, on September 4, ICE launched an operation at the Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution joint venture plant in Georgia, arresting 475 workers and detaining about 300. Most of those detained were Korean nationals. ICE conducted the operation in cooperation with related agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), deploying helicopters and armored vehicles.