After the “arrest” incident, more than 300 Korean workers want to sue the U.S. government

According to US media reports on the 15th, after US immigration law enforcement officers arrested more than 300 Korean workers in a raid in Georgia last September, the Korean workers involved are taking legal measures and preparing to file a lawsuit against the US federal government.

According to CNN, these South Korean workers have begun filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Labor. According to relevant U.S. laws, filing an administrative claim is a necessary procedure for suing the U.S. federal government.

On March 23, law enforcement officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement were on duty at the departure security checkpoint at LaGuardia Airport in New York, USA. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Fengguo

These workers complained that they were illegally detained and lived in poor conditions in detention facilities after their arrest, and demanded compensation from relevant U.S. agencies for their wages, confiscated items, and psychological harm. Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not release the amount of the claim.

On September 4, 2025, U.S. immigration law enforcement officers arrested 475 people without legal status during a raid in Georgia on a battery factory and related contractors jointly operated by South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and LG New Energy Company, of which more than 300 were Korean citizens. According to CNN, only four targets were listed on the search warrant for that raid, but none of them were among the South Koreans actually arrested.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean people were shocked and angry about this incident. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warned in September last year that the US move may make Korean companies cautious about investing in the United States.