According to U.S. media reports on the 15th, after U.S. immigration law enforcement officers arrested more than 300 Korean workers during a raid in Georgia in September last year, the Korean workers involved are taking legal measures to prepare to file a lawsuit against the U.S. federal government.
According to CNN, these Korean workers have begun filing administrative claims against nine federal agencies including the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, as well as the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor. Under U.S. relevant laws, filing administrative claims is a necessary procedure for prosecuting the U.S. federal government.
On March 23, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were on duty at the departure security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport in New York, USA.
The workers alleged that they had been illegally detained after being arrested, that they were living in poor conditions in detention facilities, and demanded compensation from U.S. relevant agencies for their wage income, confiscated goods, and psychological harm. The plaintiff‘s lawyers did not announce the amount of compensation.
On September 4, 2025, U.S. immigration law enforcement officers arrested 475 people without legal identity, including more than 300 Korean citizens, during a raid on a battery factory and related contractors operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG New Energy in Georgia. According to CNN, only four targets were listed on the search warrant for that raid, but none of these four were among the actual Korean people arrested.
According to the Associated Press, the Korean public is shocked and angry about this matter. President Lee Jae-ming warned in September last year that the U.S. move might make Korean companies cautious about investing in the United States.