South Korea bringing home 300 workers detained in Georgia ICE raid

South Korea bringing home 300 workers detained in Georgia ICE raid

According to the Associated Press, the South Korean Government plans to send a charter plane to bring about 300 workers home. Federal authorities say 475 people were detained last week in what Homeland Security Investigations called the largest single-site enforcement operation in its history.

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. - More than 300 South Korean workers detained following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and sent home, the South Korean government announced Sunday.

What we know:

According to the Associated Press, the South Korean government plans to send a charter plane to bring the workers home as soon as remaining administrative steps are completed.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will come to the U.S. on Monday for talks related to the workers’ releases, according to the AP.

The backstory:

Federal authorities say 475 people were detained last week in what Homeland Security Investigations called the largest single-site enforcement operation in its history.

The raid took place Thursday at the HLGA battery plant site in southeast Georgia, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution, as part of a months-long probe into alleged unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes.

U.S. Attorney Meg Heap and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steve Schrank said the operation followed a judicial search warrant and focused on employers suspected of exploiting undocumented workers. Officials stressed the effort was not a "round-up" but the result of extensive evidence-gathering, interviews and court approval. The arrests involved a network of contractors and subcontractors at the site, not just the parent company, Schrank said.