The ICE raid that led to the detention of hundreds of workers near Savannah has left the metro Atlanta Korean community worried about what may be coming next.

On Thursday, most of the South Korean nationals were released from a detention center and boarded a charter flight from Atlanta out of the country. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the detainees released by U.S. authorities included 316 Koreans, 10 Chinese nationals, three Japanese nationals and one Indonesian.

The workers were among about 475 people detained during a raid at an electric vehicle factory that was still under construction on the campus of Hyundai's plant near Savannah. They had been held at an immigration detention center for days in Folkston, Georgia.

ICE officials said the raid was the result of a months-long investigation into allegations of illegal hiring at the site and was the "largest single site enforcement operation" in the agency's two-decade history.

The arrests led to outrage in South Korea and fear for some Georgia residents.

"Traumatic to all of us"

Sarah Park, a community activist who runs the metro Atlanta chapter of the Korean American Coalition, said that families across the city and state are concerned about what may happen next following the arrests.

"They're worried about how to reassure their children," Park said. "They're worrying about what type of resources and rights they have."

Park called the sight of the detainees arrested at an economic symbol of the relationship between Georgia and South Korea "traumatic to all of us."

"We were so proud of this investment that symbolized the trust and hard work of both countries, and especially my state, was overshadowed with images of 475 people shackled and detained," she said.

Park believed that, despite the arrests and detention, the skilled workers who left the country would likely want to return to Georgia to finish the job because of the investment's importance and out of a sense of national pride.

"This is going to be a long, long process of healing and a long process of really addressing these issues together," she said.

Gov. Brian Kemp's response to ICE arrests

In a statement last week, Gov. Brian Kemp's office stressed its "strong relationship with the Republic of Korea and Korean partners like Hyundai, stretching back 40 years to the establishment of Georgia's trade office in Seoul."

"We are thankful they are reiterating their commitment to adhere to all state and federal laws, just as we remain committed to not allowing this unfortunate incident to undo the decades of mutually beneficial partnerships we've built together," a spokesperson said.

Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion Savannah facility, which employs about 1,200 people. The battery plant operated by HL-GA Battery Co., a joint venture by Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, is slated to open next year.