On September 4, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alongside other federal agencies, conducted a major raid at a Hyundai Motor Group battery plant construction site in Ellabell, Georgia, detaining 475 individuals, the majority of whom were South Korean nationals. The operation, described as the largest single-site enforcement action in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) history, targeted alleged unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes at the $7.6 billion facility, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution.
The raid, executed with a judicial search warrant, followed a months-long investigation into a network of subcontractors at the site. Steven Schrank, HSI Special Agent in Charge, emphasized that the operation was not a random sweep but a targeted effort to address illegal employment, with most detainees either illegally present in the U.S., working without authorization, or in violation of visa terms. No criminal charges have been announced, and those detained are being held at ICE’s Folkston, Georgia, facility pending further decisions.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed “concern and regret,” urging the U.S. to protect the rights of its nationals and investors. Diplomats from Seoul were dispatched to the site, and the ministry emphasized that the economic activities of Korean companies, which have pledged billions in U.S. investments, should not be unfairly disrupted. The raid has sparked diplomatic tensions, coming shortly after South Korea committed $350 billion to U.S. investments to mitigate tariff concerns under the Trump administration.
Hyundai clarified that none of the detained workers were direct employees, and while construction at the battery plant was paused, electric vehicle production at the adjacent facility continued unaffected. The operation underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, raising questions about balancing economic investments with immigration policy.
This raid, part of a broader crackdown, has drawn attention to the complexities of foreign investment and labor practices in the U.S., with potential implications for U.S.-South Korea relations and Georgia’s economy, where the Hyundai plant is touted as the state’s largest economic development project.
SOURCES:
Immigration raid targets Hyundai EV plant construction site in Georgia | Fox News
Hundreds of South Korean nationals detained in largest single-site immigration raid
475 people taken into ICE custody at Hyundai plant in Georgia – ABC News
South Koreans Swept Up in Immigration Raid at Hyundai E.V. Plant in Georgia – The New York Times
Hundreds of South Koreans are among 475 detained in a Georgia immigration raid : NPR
Homeland security: 475 people detained at immigration raid in Georgia | AP News
