AsianFin -- U.S. immigration authorities said on Friday that they detained 475 individuals, most of them South Korean nationals, during a coordinated federal raid on Hyundai Motor Co.’s electric vehicle production complex in Georgia on Thursday.
The surprise enforcement action, announced by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials Friday, targeted Hyundai’s $7.6 billion EV manufacturing site and an associated battery plant under construction in Bryan County, Georgia. According to ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) regional chief Steven Schrank, the raid followed a month-long probe into unauthorized employment practices.
The raid was designed to protect American jobs and uphold fair competition in the labor market, Schrank told reporters during a press briefing. He noted that those detained included individuals who had either entered the U.S. illegally, overstayed valid visas, or held visas not permitting work authorization. Most of the detainees have been transferred to immigration detention facilities near the Georgia-Florida border.
While Schrank confirmed that a majority of the 475 individuals were of South Korean origin, he said authorities were still verifying nationalities and immigration statuses.
The operation temporarily disrupted construction at the EV and battery facilities — a key part of Hyundai’s North American electrification strategy, supported by federal and state-level incentives under the Biden administration’s green energy push.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded swiftly. Spokesperson Lee Jae-yong stated Friday that the rights of South Korean nationals and investors “must not be unfairly infringed” during U.S. enforcement actions. Seoul has dispatched diplomatic staff from its embassy in Washington to the site to gather further information and provide consular support.
The incident threatens to complicate U.S.-South Korea economic ties at a time when both countries are deepening cooperation on clean energy and semiconductor supply chains. It also raises broader questions about labor sourcing in large-scale manufacturing projects — especially amid a national labor shortage in the construction and industrial sectors.
Hyundai Motor Co. has not issued a formal statement as of press time. The Georgia plant is slated to begin operations in 2025 and is projected to create over 8,000 jobs.
