韩工厂工人美国遭大规模拘捕事件

2025年9月4日，美国乔治亚州 Ellabell 的现代—LG 电动车电池工厂建设工地上，突如其来的一场大规模移民执法行动，使这个原本象徵產业合作与新能源未来的工程，瞬间成為国际瞩目的风暴中心。

当天清晨，美国国土安全部联合多个执法单位，对正在施工的工地展开全面突击检查。短短数小时内，约475名工人被拘捕，其中超过300人是韩国公民，另有日本等其他国籍人士。这一规模，被媒体称為「美国歷史上最大单一工地移民突袭」。

官方指称，这些工人或是逾期居留，或持有与工作性质不符的签证。虽然部分律师强调，多数韩国工人持有 B-1 商务签证，允许短期进行安装、监工与技术指导，但执法部门却认定他们涉及「非法就业」。

现代汽车迅速声明，强调被捕工人多為承包或分包商的雇员，并非公司直接聘用。LG 能源解决方案也承认其中有部分与公司相关人员，表示将积极配合后续调查。

韩国政府则严正表态，称事件「严重且令人遗憾」。外交部立即派遣高层赴美交涉，并宣布将派出包机，接回选择「自愿离境」的工人，以保障国民权益，同时保留未来再度入境的可能性。这场突袭行动，不仅让数百名工人及其家庭陷入困境，也使跨国企业对美国移民政策的严苛程度感到震惊。分析人士指出，若法律适用缺乏弹性，恐怕会削弱美国对外籍技术人才与跨国投资的吸引力，并在无形中加重企业用工的不确定性。

对韩国而言，此事既是外交挑战，也是社会舆论的压力。如何在保障国民安全、维护劳工权益与持续推进海外產业投资之间取得平衡，已成当务之急。

这起事件的核心，表面是移民执法，实则牵动法律、经济与外交的三重矛盾。韩国工人被捕，不仅是一次跨国工地上的法律风暴，更折射出全球化时代下劳动力流动的脆弱与无奈。这场突袭提醒世人：在国际合作的宏大蓝图之下，人的命运，仍是最不容忽视的一环。

South Korean Workers Caught In U.S. Immigration Raid

On September 4, 2025, the construction site of the Hyundai–LG electric vehicle battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia, became the center of international attention. What was intended to symbolize industrial cooperation and the future of clean energy suddenly turned into the stage for one of the largest immigration enforcement operations in recent U.S. history.

A Sudden and Sweeping Raid

At dawn, agents from the Department of Homeland Security, joined by multiple law enforcement units, swept across the construction site. Within hours, nearly 475 workers were taken into custody. More than 300 of them were South Korean nationals, alongside others from Japan and other countries. Media outlets immediately described the raid as “the largest single-site immigration enforcement action in modern U.S. history.”

Authorities claimed that many workers had overstayed their visas, or were engaged in employment not permitted under their visa category. Defense lawyers, however, argued that a large number of the Korean workers had entered the U.S. on B-1 business visas—visas that often allow short-term supervisory, installation, and technical guidance work. Immigration officials nonetheless classified their activity as “unauthorized employment.”

Reactions from All Sides

Hyundai swiftly issued a statement stressing that most of those detained were not direct employees, but rather subcontracted workers. LG Energy Solution similarly acknowledged that some of the detained individuals were affiliated with contractors linked to the company, pledging full cooperation with investigators.

The South Korean government responded with urgency, describing the incident as “serious and regrettable.” Seoul dispatched senior officials to Washington for emergency talks and announced plans to send chartered flights to bring home those who opt for “voluntary departure”—a measure that would preserve their ability to re-enter the United States in the future.

Broader Implications

The raid has cast a shadow not only over the futures of hundreds of workers and their families, but also over the perception of the United States as a destination for foreign expertise and investment. Analysts warn that rigid enforcement, without clear consideration of the nuances of visa categories, could erode America’s ability to attract skilled labor and increase uncertainty for global companies operating in the U.S.

For South Korea, this dramatic episode represents both a diplomatic challenge and a domestic political test. Balancing the protection of citizens abroad, the defense of labor rights, and the continuation of overseas industrial expansion have become urgent and pressing issues.

Conclusion

On its surface, this was just another routine immigration enforcement operation; in reality, it reveals a far more complex intersection of law, economics, and diplomacy. The detention of South Korean workers in Georgia represents more than a single-site labor dispute—it reflects the vulnerabilities of migrant labor in an era of global interdependence. Above all, it reminds us that behind the grand projects of international cooperation, the fate of individual workers remains the most fragile, and the most human element of all.