South Korea reaches deal with US to release workers detained after immigration raid

The South Korean government has reached a deal with the U.S. to secure the release of hundreds of migrant workers detained at a Hyundai automobile factory in Georgia.

Homeland Security Investigations said 475 people who were in the country illegally, primarily from South Korea, were arrested as part of the operation at the under-construction battery plant. Hyundai owns the plant, but claimed none of the workers were directly employed by the company.

President Lee Jae Myung’s office says the country will send a charter plane to bring the workers back to South Korea in the coming days.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement last week to express “concern and regret” over the raid.

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HSI Georgia chief Steven Schrank said some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.

HSI said some of the workers arrested were employed by subcontractors on the construction site, which has since been paused. Fox News Digital reported that ICE and other law enforcement agencies were part of the operation.

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“As of today, it is our understanding that none of those detained is directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company,” Hyundai told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone working at the site and comply with all laws and regulations wherever we operate.”

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Workplace raids have become an increasingly common operation for immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Last month, federal authorities butted heads with some Democratic officials in California at a cannabis farm, which resulted in the discovery of children working at the plant.

Fox News’ Cameron Arcand and the Associated Press contributed to this report.