U.S. federal agents detained nearly 500 workers in a large-scale immigration raid at Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle and battery complex in Ellabell, Georgia, marking the country’s largest single-site enforcement action in recent years. The operation, carried out on September 4 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, focused on a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery plant that is still under construction.
Authorities confirmed that 475 individuals were taken into custody during the raid. Officials said those detained had either overstayed visas, entered the country without proper documentation, or violated visa terms by taking unauthorized employment. The operation followed several months of investigation and included the seizure of company records, payroll data, and communication files connected to the project. South Korea’s government confirmed that more than 300 of the detained workers were South Korean nationals. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that the government is arranging chartered flights to repatriate its citizens, adding that Seoul has been in direct contact with Washington to coordinate their return.
Deportation proceedings are already underway for most of the detainees. Hyundai Motor Group said in a statement that the individuals detained were not direct employees but rather workers provided by subcontractors engaged in construction at the megasite. The company added that it is conducting a review of labor compliance measures and is working with U.S. authorities to clarify the scope of responsibility. Construction at the facility has been temporarily halted.
South Korea confirms citizens detained in Georgia raid
The raid has drawn significant attention because of the scale of South Korean corporate investment in the United States. The Hyundai–LG Energy Solution battery plant is part of a multibillion-dollar initiative to expand electric vehicle production in the U.S. and represents one of the largest foreign investments in Georgia. The action has raised concerns in Seoul about the treatment of its citizens and the potential impact on bilateral economic cooperation.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the incident on social media, saying that while foreign investment remains important, companies operating in the United States must comply with immigration laws. He said the government would support legal entry for workers while encouraging corporations to prioritize hiring and training American employees. Local residents in Bryan County, where the Hyundai site is located, expressed mixed reactions. Some community members voiced concern that the incident could delay the long-promised economic benefits of the project, while others supported the enforcement action as a necessary step to uphold immigration law. State officials have not indicated how long the pause in construction may last.
Georgia community weighs impact of halted megaproject
The detained workers are being held at various federal facilities in Georgia and surrounding states. Officials confirmed that none of those taken into custody have been charged with crimes, although administrative immigration proceedings are ongoing. Federal authorities emphasized that the raid was conducted under judicial warrants and that the focus remains on unlawful employment practices within the supply chain of the construction project. The Hyundai–LG facility had been scheduled to open in 2025 with the capacity to produce batteries for up to 300,000 electric vehicles annually.
With construction halted and hundreds of workers now in federal custody, the timeline for completion of the $7.6 billion project remains uncertain. The raid underscores the intersection of immigration enforcement and industrial development at a time when both the United States and South Korea have been strengthening economic ties through large-scale manufacturing investments. It has also placed renewed attention on labor practices at foreign-owned facilities in the U.S. South Korean officials have pledged to continue monitoring the legal process involving their nationals, while Hyundai and LG are expected to reassess oversight of subcontracted labor at their U.S. operations. – By Content Syndication Services.