Some South Korean Workers Return to Georgia Factory After U.S. Reissues Visas

South Korean workers began returning to a factory in Georgia last month after the State Department reissued their visas, as the Trump administration seeks to undo the damage from a large workplace immigration raid.

About 180 people who were in the United States on B-1 business visas have had them restored, said Kim Min-su, who was among those detained in the raid on Sept. 4 in southern Georgia. Two lawyers representing the workers confirmed that all the B-1 visa holders who were detained — out of 317 South Koreans detained in total — had their visas restored.

At least 30 of those workers have gone back to the battery plant, which is owned by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, said Mr. Kim, who has surveyed the South Korean ex-detainees in preparation for a class-action lawsuit against U.S. immigration authorities over their detention. His account was corroborated by screenshots and photos shared with The New York Times that show visa renewals for two of the workers.

One person whose visa was revoked on Sept. 27 had it reissued on Oct. 22, the documents show. Another worker asked the U.S. Embassy in Seoul about his visa status and received an email on Oct. 14 stating that his visa was valid.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that U.S. officials had contacted the former detainees individually about their visa renewals and taken steps to ensure that no adverse information related to the Georgia operation remained on their records. The State Department and the HL-GA Battery Company, which owns the plant where the raid happened, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Trump administration has sought to distance itself from the raid, which came amid its nationwide crackdown on immigration. President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea, where the raid stirred up public anger, said it was a violation of the workers’ rights and would discourage companies from investing in the United States.