South Korean workers plan massive lawsuit over Hyundai plant ICE raid

Sep 20, 2026

More than 300 South Korean workers detained in last year's ICE raid on a Hyundai plant in Georgia are preparing to sue the Trump administration, a blow to U.S.-Korea relations at a moment when Washington is trying to lock down a $200 billion Korean investment deal.

  • The workers plan to sue nine federal agencies, including Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the Justice and Labor departments.
  • Many of the detained were engineers sent to set up and train staff at the plant; they were shackled and held in a private for-profit detention center, and one was reportedly pregnant.
  • The workers spent a year gathering testimony, video footage, and detailed written accounts to build the case.
  • Korean public opinion is overwhelmingly hostile, with many calling for Hyundai to pull out of the U.S. entirely and build in Canada or Mexico instead.
  • The raid is souring the broader relationship: the U.S.-Korea investment package has hit last-stage snags over nuclear reactors, energy projects, and funding terms, and a planned signing was pushed to next week.

Outlook: The lawsuit will drag on for years, but the immediate damage is to America's pitch to foreign manufacturers — Korean firms now have a concrete reason to build next door rather than in the U.S.

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