300 South Koreans Detained in Georgia File for Damages Against US Government

[Anchor]

South Korean workers who were arrested a year ago at a battery plant construction site in the U.S. state of Georgia have initiated steps to claim damages against the Trump administration. They argue that their arrest and detention by U.S. immigration authorities were unlawful, causing severe economic and psychological suffering.

Reporter Jeon Hyeong-u has the details.

[Reporter]

On September 4 of last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a sudden raid on the joint Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia.

A total of 475 workers were arrested and detained, more than 300 of whom were South Korean nationals.

Controversy over human rights violations erupted after footage was released showing armed immigration agents arresting South Korean workers while binding them with handcuffs and leg irons.

[Colleague who visited detained South Korean worker (September of last year): They say they get served three times a day, with things like a piece of bread, two boiled eggs, and potato chips. They wear tan prison uniforms, and it's just a prison, just a prison.]

CNN reported that over 300 South Korean workers who were detained at the time have taken legal action against the Donald Trump administration.

A Korean-American attorney in Georgia representing them stated that they have begun filing administrative claims, which serve as a preliminary step to federal lawsuits against the U.S. government.

They plan to complete filing administrative claims against nine federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice, by the end of this year.

The claims reportedly demand financial compensation from the U.S. government, stating that the South Korean workers suffered property confiscation, lost wages, and psychological trauma due to unlawful imprisonment.

In response to these claims, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated, "We executed search warrants as part of an investigation into unlawful employment practices and serious criminal allegations at the time," while U.S. Customs and Border Protection referred to materials stating, "They were found to be working illegally in violation of the terms of their status."

(Video Editing: Kim Jong-mi)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.