Hundreds of workers at a Hyundai Motor car battery facility under construction in the US state of Georgia have been detained in a major raid by authorities, stopping work on a plant that is one of the South Korean car maker's major investments in the United States.

About 475 workers were arrested, according to US immigration officials, the largest single-site enforcement operation in the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) history.

President Donald Trump's administration has been escalating a crackdown on immigrants, disrupting businesses around the country, even as the White House has encouraged more inflows from foreign investors.

The US and South Korea have been at odds over the details of a trade deal that includes $US350 billion ($A535 billion) of investments.

At a summit l

See Full Page