Largest ICE Raid Hits Georgia Hyundai Plant: 475 Detained in Investigation of Unlawful Employment Practices
In Savannah, Georgia, a significant immigration enforcement operation took place at a substantial industrial complex where South Korean automotive company Hyundai produces electric vehicles. According to Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank, approximately 475 individuals were detained during the raid.
During a press conference on Friday, Schrank asserted that the majority of those apprehended were South Korean nationals. He emphasized that the operation underscored the agency’s commitment to fostering job opportunities for Georgians and Americans. The operation, he added, was the largest single-site enforcement action in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation, which has been ongoing for several months, received information from community members and former workers, as per Schrank.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as substantial, though he did not disclose an exact figure. He explained that the detained workers were part of a network of subcontractors, with employees working for various companies on the site.
The raid targeted one of Georgia’s largest and most prominent manufacturing facilities, often highlighted by Governor Brian Kemp and other officials as the state’s largest economic development project ever. Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea’s leading automaker, commenced electric vehicle production at the $7.6 billion plant a year ago, employing around 1,200 people. The company has partnered with LG Energy Solution to construct an adjacent battery plant, scheduled for completion next year.
In response to the incident, LG stated it was closely monitoring the situation and gathering all relevant details. It could not immediately confirm the number of its employees or Hyundai workers who were detained. The company reiterated that its top priority was always ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees and partners, and it would fully cooperate with the relevant authorities.
Hyundai’s South Korean office did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
ICE spokesman Lindsay Williams confirmed that federal agents conducted an enforcement operation at the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) site west of Savannah, Georgia. Agents were primarily focused on the construction site for the battery plant.
In a televised statement, Lee said the ministry was taking active measures to address the case, dispatching diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in Atlanta to the site, and planning to form an on-site response team centered on the local mission.
“The business activities of our investors and the rights of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the process of U.S. law enforcement,” Lee said.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that agents executed a search warrant “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
The Trump administration has undertaken extensive ICE operations as part of a mass deportation agenda. Immigration officers have raided farms, construction sites, restaurants, and auto repair shops.
Preliminary Census Bureau data, as reported by the Pew Research Center, indicates that the U.S. labor force lost over 1.2 million immigrants from January through July. This figure includes individuals who are in the country illegally, as well as legal residents.
Hyundai and LG’s battery joint venture, HL-GA Battery Company, stated it was “cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities” and temporarily halted construction of the battery site to assist their work. Operations at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing plant remained unaffected, according to plant spokesperson Bianca Johnson.