In the largest immigration raid of the Trump administration to date, federal agents arrested 475 people at a Hyundai construction site in Georgia on Thursday—exposing major cracks in the system meant to prevent illegal hiring and sending shockwaves through the state’s prized electric vehicle project.
The operation targeted the Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell, a sprawling 2,900-acre site west of Savannah. It’s the same site Georgia officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp, have championed as a cornerstone of the state’s clean energy future.
Instead, it’s now ground zero in a national crackdown on undocumented labor.
The raid unfolded like something out of a movie. Federal officers—backed by Georgia State Patrol, the FBI, DEA, ATF, and more—descended on the EV battery plant construction zone, rounding up workers in hard hats and reflective vests.
Several individuals attempted to flee the site on foot. Some ran into a nearby sewage pond in a desperate attempt to escape. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Agents used a boat to fish them out of the water. One of the individuals swam under the boat and tried to flip it over to no avail. These people were captured and identified as illegal workers, authorities said, according to CNN.”
Steven Schrank, special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations, said all 475 people arrested were in the U.S. illegally. “Some crossed into the US illegally; some had visa waivers and were prohibited from working; and some had overstayed their visas,” he said.
Most of those arrested are Korean nationals, Schrank added, though a full breakdown of nationalities wasn’t immediately available.
In a statement, Hyundai distanced itself from the individuals detained, stating that none of them were directly employed by the automaker.
“We are aware of the recent incident at the HL-GA Battery Company construction site in Bryan County, Georgia,” said spokesperson Michael Stewart. “We are closely monitoring the situation and working to understand the specific circumstances.”
“As of today, it is our understanding that none of those detained is directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company.”
The HL-GA Battery Company is a joint venture between Hyundai and LG, and part of the much-hyped $5.5 billion Metaplant that includes both an EV manufacturing site and a battery production facility. The Associated Press reported that construction on the battery facility has now been halted due to the raid.
Schrank noted that many of the arrested workers were likely employed by contractors or subcontractors, raising questions about how deeply Hyundai and LG were vetting the companies building their flagship American EV project.
Governor Brian Kemp’s office stood behind the enforcement action, issuing a statement saying: “In Georgia, we will always enforce the law, including all state and federal immigration laws. The Department of Public Safety coordinated with ICE to provide all necessary support for this operation.”
Kemp has previously hailed the Metaplant as a transformative investment, posting on social media last year:
“With the first 500 employees trained, and more soon to join them, this is another major milestone as we continue our momentum towards the full opening of the Hyundai Metaplant!”
Now, some of those milestones appear to be unraveling.
The Georgia operation was just one part of a larger sweep.
The same day, ICE agents raided a family-run factory in Cato, New York, arresting dozens more. The Rural & Migrant Ministry said agents questioned nearly every worker inside Nutrition Bar Confectioners before detaining as many as 70.
Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed the raid.
“I am outraged by this morning’s ICE raids in Cato and Fulton, where more than 40 adults were seized — including parents of at least a dozen children at risk of returning from school to an empty house,” she said. “This will not make New York safer. It will shatter hard-working families who are simply trying to build a life here.”
Mark Schmidt, owner of the factory, told The New York Times that his team had properly vetted all employees.
“We’ve done everything we can to vet people we hire,” he said, calling the raid “overkill.”
His son, Lenny Schmidt, described it as “almost theatrical,” saying the agents brought in police dogs and ATVs.
“This kind of raid, you feel like it’s a drug bust or a human trafficking situation.”
International Blowback
South Korea is now getting involved. In a televised statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong expressed serious concerns:
“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.”
He added that South Korea had conveyed its “concerns and regret” to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
