Image Credentials: Image Title: Hundreds Arrested in Immigration Raid at Hyundai Plant Construction Site in Georgia Source: (Gemini) Date: September 2025. Attribution: Created using AI-generated imagery (Gemini), this does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle with Agencies
Hundreds of workers at a Hyundai Motor car battery plant under construction in Georgia were detained this week in what US authorities described as the largest single-site immigration enforcement action in the history of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The raid, which halted construction at the site, involved the detention of about 475 workers, most of them South Korean citizens, according to immigration officials.
The facility, located in Ellabell, Georgia, is a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solutions and represents a major piece of South Korea’s $150 billion investment pledge to the United States. Of that, $26 billion came directly from Hyundai. The plant was expected to begin operations by the end of the year, producing batteries to power Hyundai’s expanding electric vehicle lineup.
Federal agents detained 450 workers suspected of being in the country illegally at Hyundai’s Georgia battery plant, pausing construction on the project. https://t.co/vYbtr49alq pic.twitter.com/0rmuETrNDJ
— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) September 5, 2025
Homeland Security said the workers were barred from employment in the United States after either entering the country illegally or overstaying visas. Steven Schrank, the special agent leading the Georgia investigation, emphasized that the operation was not a mass roundup but rather the result of a months-long inquiry into a network of subcontractors at the construction site.
“This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses,” Schrank explained at a press conference. “This was a targeted enforcement action based on evidence.”
Hyundai Motor distanced itself from the arrests, saying none of those detained were direct employees of the company. A spokesperson stressed that Hyundai complies “with all laws and regulations wherever we operate.” LG Energy Solutions confirmed it had paused construction work and was cooperating fully with investigators.
The raid comes amid heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration, even as the White House has sought to attract foreign investment. The juxtaposition highlights tensions in Washington’s approach: promoting international business ties while aggressively targeting violations of US immigration law.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the operation, urging US authorities to ensure that the interests of South Korean companies and their workers are not unfairly harmed. “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 US law enforcement,” ministry spokesman Lee Jae-woong said.
A dramatic video circulated on social media showed Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, clad in vests, ordering construction workers in yellow safety gear to stop work immediately. “We have a search warrant for the whole site. We need construction to cease immediately. We need all work to end on the site right now,” one officer declared.
The Department of Justice noted that some individuals attempted to escape during the raid, with several workers reportedly pulled from a sewage pond at the site.
Despite the disruption, Hyundai stated that its electric vehicle production elsewhere was not affected. Still, the raid represents a significant blow to the company’s US expansion and has introduced a new strain into US-South Korea trade relations at a sensitive time.
Staff Writers at Open Chronicle produce in-depth, field-informed reporting on defense, diplomacy, cultural transformation, and global affairs. Known for clarity, accuracy, and analytical depth, they connect breaking developments to broader historical and strategic contexts. In addition to frontline journalism, Staff Writers also contribute to the Open Chronicle Encyclopedia, crafting authoritative entries that preserve critical knowledge and enrich public understanding.