South Oriental employees have actually begun going back to the Hyundai-LG battery manufacturing facility in Georgia after the historical raid on the website in September.
Mr. Kim, among the designers that had actually been apprehended and that asked to be recognized by his last name just, claimed approximately 50 designers that were apprehended have actually returned to the USA since Nov. 15.
According to Kim and a lawyer standing for the employees, greater than 100 of the 317 apprehended South Oriental nationals have actually currently had their B-1 organization visas renewed. The lawyer claimed all B-1 owners had their visas recovered without needing to reapply– an indication, the attorney suggests, that the employees were legally in the united state to set up tools at the manufacturing facility.
Almost 200 of the detainees are currently preparing to take legal action against Migration and Traditions Enforcement, affirming illegal policing, racial profiling, civils rights offenses, extreme pressure and false arrest. They were apprehended on Sept. 4 and apprehended for a week, up until the United State and South Oriental federal governments bargained for them to return home.

In this photo launched by ATF Atlanta, individuals are revealed being nailed at the Hyunda huge website battery plant in Bryan Region, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2025.
@ATFAtlanta/ X
Government authorities called it the “biggest, solitary website enforcement procedure in the background of homeland protection examinations.”
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Matters informs ABC Information that the United State and South Korea are still functioning to deal with the visa system in between both nations.
Hyundai did not react to an ask for remark from ABC Information.
LG Power Remedy claimed building and united state organization traveling has actually returned to.
” Workers of LG Power Remedy and its companions are taking a trip to, or will certainly take a trip to, HL-GA and various other united state manufacturing centers that are presently running or incomplete, with strategies to broaden business traveling slowly,” the firm claimed in a declaration to ABC Information.
The State Division would certainly not discuss information of specific visas, yet claimed in a declaration to ABC Information: “What we’re discussing below is international employees with extremely specialized abilities pertaining to the USA momentarily to educate up American employees prior to going back to their very own nation, so we can boost work chances for Americans.”

In this photo launched by ATF Atlanta, individuals are revealed being nailed at the Hyunda huge website battery plant in Bryan Region, Georgia, on Sept. 4, 2025.
@ATFAtlanta/ X
” The Division is executing the Head of state’s dedication to the reindustrialization of America by helping with legit organization traveling and international straight financial investment,” the declaration proceeded, including that the united state is working with very closely with the South Oriental federal government and helping with visas linked to Oriental financial investments.
Head Of State Donald Trump has actually repetitively safeguarded bringing immigrants with specialized abilities to the united state to aid develop battery manufacturing facilities. In a Fox Information meeting previously this month, he said that battery manufacturing is “extremely complex” and “extremely hazardous,” which South Oriental designers have actually been “making batteries all their lives.”
Trump’s protection of H-1B visas and statements that the united state does not have individuals with “particular abilities” to fill up tasks have actually stimulated reaction from components of his MAGA base.
On Monday, Trump once more referenced the Georgia raid, declaring he informed DHS to “quit” the activity versus the employees.
” We had one situation in Georgia with a battery manufacturing facility … they generated, they invested a billion bucks to develop a manufacturing facility, and they were informed to venture out,” Trump claimed. “And I claimed, ‘Quit it. Do not be dumb.’ And we functioned it out, and currently they’re educating our individuals just how to do it.”