U.S. immigration officials conducted a large-scale raid on Thursday at a Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solutions battery plant under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, resulting in the arrest of about 475 workers, predominantly South Korean nationals.
This operation, described as the largest single-site enforcement action in the Department of Homeland Security's history, halted construction at the facility, which represents a significant $4.3 billion joint venture aimed at producing electric vehicle batteries.
The site is part of Hyundai's broader $12.6 billion investment in the state, including a recently opened car factory touted as the largest economic development project in Georgia's history.
The raid, involving over 400 law enforcement officers following a months-long investigation, targeted workers accused of entering the U.S. illegally or overstaying visas, thereby violating their authorization to work.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Steven Schrank emphasized during a press briefing that the action addressed a network of subcontractors on the site and was not a haphazard roundup.
"This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses," Schrank stated.
The detained individuals, including one Mexican citizen with prior criminal convictions, are being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending further processing.
Hyundai Motor clarified that none of the arrested workers were directly employed by the company, while LG Energy Solutions announced it had paused construction and was cooperating with authorities.
The enforcement action underscores the Trump administration's intensified crackdown on unauthorized immigration, even as it promotes foreign investments to bolster domestic manufacturing.
President Donald Trump commented on Friday that the workers were "illegal aliens" and that ICE was simply performing its duties.
This raid, however, has sparked concerns about its impact on U.S.-South Korea relations, a key alliance involving substantial economic ties, including a recent pledge of $150 billion in South Korean investments.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed regret, stating through spokesperson Lee Jae-woong that "the economic activities of our companies investing in the United States and the interests of our citizens must not be unduly violated during the course of U.S. law enforcement."
Georgia's Democratic Party criticized the operation as politically motivated, while Governor Brian Kemp's office affirmed commitment to enforcing immigration laws.
Shares of Hyundai Motor fell 0.7% and LG Energy Solutions dropped 2.3% on Friday, reflecting market unease over the disruption to the project set to employ 1,200 people and supply batteries for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis electric vehicles.