SAVANNAH, Ga. – While more than 300 South Korean workers returned home after a week long detention by US immigration authorities in Georgia, some 150 workers are still being held by authorities.
Members of Georgia’s Korean community are growing increasingly anxious over their fate and are demanding to know when they will be freed.
On Friday, September 12, a Korean Air chartered plane carrying 330 workers of Korean and other Asian nationalities landed at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea.
A week earlier, on Thursday, September 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a raid on an electric car battery plant construction site co-run by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution (LG Ensol) in Ellabell, Georgia. Four hundred seventy-five workers were detained, including 316 South Koreans, 10 Chinese, 3 Japanese, and 1 Indonesian citizen.
South Korea’s government has said it will investigate potential human rights abuses stemming from the raid and subsequent detention.
The remaining 150 workers—all but one of who are non-Korean—remain stuck in limbo at a detention center at Folkston, Georgia, including the only Korean national who refused to return to Korea and has chosen instead to pursue legal action while in custody. He is seeking legal permanent residency and has family in the US, all of whom are US citizens or green card holders, according to his lawyer.
Migrant Equity Southeast (MESE), with the assistance of volunteer lawyers and translators nationwide, opened an intake hotline for detainees and families not represented by lawyers. “Even a Korean-speaking attorney or translator is hard to find in this rural area,” stated Stephanie Cho of Demo Lab South.
Silence, economic toll follows in wake of ICE raid
On the same day the Korean workers returned home, silence reigned at the construction site of the Hyundai-LG Ensol battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. Heavy construction equipment stood idle, and the massive parking lot was nearly empty except for a few cars, which were abandoned by their owners.
South Korean conglomerate LG halted construction immediately after the ICE raid. The same situation prevailed at Hyundai Motor Group’s Meta Plant, Hyundai Steel, and Hyundai Mobis, which are located adjacent to the construction site targeted by ICE. Roads and streets near the plants had little traffic, while Korean and Asian employees were nowhere to be seen.
The economic impact extends as far as the city of Pooler, a primary residence for the Korean Population in the Savannah area. Ms. Lee, who asked to remain anonymous, stated, “Korean foods like ramen are piled high at Costco… Koreans leaving in a hurry are returning items for refunds.”
Five Korean workers staying at a local guest house she operates immediately packed their bags and returned to Korea after the ICE raid. “From the day of the crackdown, I received an overwhelming number of phone calls from Korea,” said Lee. “Some returned home after receiving orders from Korea, while others returned out of fear even though their visas had not yet expired.”
Mr. Park, who runs a Korean restaurant in Pooler and also asked that we only use her last name, expressed concern. “Neighboring Asian buffer restaurants have suffered since the ICE raid. I don’t know how long my business will last.”
Korean community in shock
The Korean community and businesses, once welcomed as job creators and investors by Georgia, were stunned and shocked by the surprise ICE raid.
Eun-seok Park, president of the Korean American Association of Greater Atlanta, said, “This raid is particularly shocking because it targeted the construction site of a leading Korean global company.” He added, “Hyundai and LG’s investments in the US not only revitalize the economy and boost American manufacturing but also symbolize the strong ROK-US alliance. However, the raid has delayed construction and tarnished the image of a leading Korean business.”
The Southeast US Korean Chamber of Commerce (SEUSKCC), a group of Korean businesses, also expresses concern. “We urge that all those affected—Korean nationals and others alike—be treated with dignity, respect, and with their health and safety prioritized.”
Meanwhile, anxiety and fear remain high in the Korean community in Savannah. On Tuesday, rumors of ICE raids circulated on chatrooms popular among Koreans. “ICE raid in the plant. Do not come out of your residence. Carry your ID and visa at all times.”
While no raid occurred, nerves remain frayed.
“Even legal permanent residents and Koreans with a valid visa are avoiding going out and are watching the situation,” said local Korean journalist Jeonghwan Lee. “The 300 Korean workers have returned to Korea, but that’s not the end of it. Thousands of local Korean workers and their families in Savannah are trembling in fear without any help or guidance.”
MESE and Korean volunteers held a “Know Your Rights” community meeting at Savannah Korean Baptist Church on September 7. One church leader expressed concern about whether his church would be the next target of an ICE raid. Another Korean worker asked whether they are required to carry all original immigration documents, including their passport, visa, and permanent resident card.
MESE and Korean volunteers will hold another “Know Your Rights” session within a week at various locations in Savannah, Georgia, Cho added.
