Hundreds of federal agents stormed a Hyundai car battery plant in Georgia on Thursday, detaining 475 workers — most of them South Korean nationals.
Officials say the raid, described as one of the largest single-site enforcement operations in ICE's two-decade history, is part of the Trump administration's sweeping crackdown on undocumented labour.
The factory, a flagship electric vehicle battery site that state leaders have touted as Georgia's largest-ever economic development project, became the latest target in a string of high-profile workplace raids.
US Immigration authorities later released video showing workers in shackles being loaded onto buses, prompting Seoul to send diplomats to the site.
Here's what we know.
What happened during the raid?
Video released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed a caravan of armoured vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside.
Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist.
Others had plastic ties around their wrists as they boarded a Georgia prison-transfer bus.
Two of the workers hid in a pond before being arrested.
Hundreds of workers wearing "Hyundai" and "LG CNS" yellow vests stood up in front of a building, before they were taken to an immigration detention centre near the Florida state line.
The workers detained
The arrest of some 475 workers included more than 300 Koreans.
Some of them worked for the battery plant operated by HL-GA Battery Co, a joint venture by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution that is slated to open next year.
Other workers were employed by contractors at the construction site, according to Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations.
He said that some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the US border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.
But an immigration attorney representing two of the detained workers said his clients arrived from South Korea under a visa waiver program that enables them to travel for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
Attorney Charles Kuck said one of his clients has been in the US for a couple of weeks, while the other has been in the country for about 45 days, adding that they had been planning to return home soon.
The detainees also included a lawful permanent resident who was kept in custody for having a prior record involving firearm and drug offences.
Hyundai Motors said it would investigate its suppliers and their subcontractors to ensure they meet regulations.
None of them has been charged with any crimes yet, Mr Schrank said, but the investigation is ongoing.
An advocacy group spokesperson said family members of the detainees were having a hard time locating them or figuring out how to get in touch with them.
How has South Korea reacted?
The South Korean government expressed "concern and regret" over the operation targeting its citizens and is sending diplomats to the site.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the government has set up a team to respond and that he may go to Washington to meet with officials if needed.
"I am deeply concerned. I feel heavy responsibility for the arrests of our citizens," Cho told an emergency government meeting.
The crackdown could risk damaging ties between the Trump administration and Seoul, a key Asian ally and investor.
They have been at odds over the details of a trade deal that includes $350 billion of South Korean investment in the United States.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo asked US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker to ensure a fair and swift resolution to the matter.
"The economic activities of our companies that have invested in the US and the rights and interests of our citizens should not be unfairly infringed upon during the course of US law enforcement," he said.
President Trump, when asked about the raid, said on Friday: "I would say that they were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job."
The targeted site
The raid was the result of a months-long investigation into allegations of illegal hiring at the rural site, the agency said.
Agents sought everything from employment records for current and former employees and timecards to video and photos of workers.
Hyundai Motor Group started manufacturing EVs at the $7.6 billion plant a year ago.
Today, the site in Bryan County employs about 1,200 people.
Agents specifically honed in on an adjacent plant that is still under construction.
The site saw its population increase by more than a quarter in the early 2020s and stood at almost 47,000 residents in 2023, the most recent year data is available.
The county's Asian population went from 1.5 per cent in 2018 to 2.2 per cent in 2023, and the growth was primarily among people of Indian descent, according to Census Bureau figures.
LG Energy Solution, which works at the plant with Hyundai, said it was suspending most business trips to the US.
