Hundreds of workers seen shackled in massive Hyundai raid take on Trump administration: report

More than 300 South Korean nationals detained during a massive immigration operation at a Georgia electric-vehicle facility last September are mounting a legal challenge against the U.S. government, according to a report by CNN on Tuesday.The enforcement action targeted a project operated as a joint venture between Hyundai and South Korea's LG Energy Solution, marking what has been described as the largest single-site operation in Department of Homeland Security history.Lawyers representing the claimants have initiated administrative claims across nine federal agencies—a mandatory step preceding any federal lawsuit, CNN reported. A banner showing a depiction of US President Donald Trump is displayed by a protester at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on September 12, 2025, after the touch down of a specially chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-81 (KE9036) bringing hundreds of South Korean workers back from Atlanta after their detention in a US immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG plant in Ellabell, Georgia (AFP/Getty)The entities named include the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Labor."ICE Homeland Security Investigations, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, executed a judicial search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.Detainees are seen in a yard at the Folkston ICE Processing Center on September 9, 2025, in Folkston, Georgia. A chartered plane will departed Seoul for the United States on September 10, 2025 to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a sweeping immigration raid (AFP via Getty Images)"This investigation is focused on ensuring accountability for those who violate the law and upholding the rule of law," the spokesperson added, without commenting directly on the challenge. Hyundai did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours.The operation sent shockwaves through South Korea, a key U.S. ally, after video and photographs revealed workers restrained with shackles around their wrists, waists, and ankles. Authorities seized the workers' phones, leaving some unable to contact their families until their eventual release.