U.S. ICE Conducts Largest Workplace Raid, Arresting 475 at Hyundai Plant in Georgia

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a large-scale raid at a Hyundai plant in Ellabell, Georgia, resulting in the arrest of over 450 workers, primarily from South Korea. The raid was executed with a judicial search warrant targeting four individuals and followed a weeks-long investigation. This operation is the largest worksite sweep under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The incident has sparked tensions between South Korea and the U.S., with South Korea planning to repatriate the detained workers via a chartered flight, an unprecedented response by a government. The South Korean government, including the Korean Embassy in Washington DC and the Consulate General in Atlanta, is working to secure the release of its nationals. Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington DC to facilitate their voluntary return. The Hyundai Metaplant, consisting of an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing site and an EV battery facility, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG, is expected to employ up to 8,500 people upon completion.

In a major immigration raid, 475 people, mostly Korean, were arrested at the Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia. The operation, conducted by federal officers, is the largest workplace sweep under the current administration's immigration crackdown. Homeland Security Investigations special agent Steven Schrank reported the arrest of 475 individuals suspected of living and working illegally in the U.S., including those who entered illegally, overstayed their visas, or were on visa waivers and not authorized to work. During the raid, some individuals attempted to escape, with some even running into a sewage pond. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia reported that agents used a boat to capture individuals who were in the water, and one person attempted to flip the boat but failed. The individuals were identified as illegal workers, and the investigation is ongoing to determine their employers. A Hyundai spokesperson stated that none of the arrested individuals were direct employees of Hyundai Motor. Hyundai's 2,900-acre Metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia, includes an electric vehicle manufacturing site and an EV battery plant, a joint venture with LG. LG did not respond to inquiries about the number of arrested workers employed by them or their contractors.