Federal and immigration agents arrested 475 people while executing a judicial search warrant at a Hyundai facility in Georgia as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices.
Everyone arrested, most of them South Korean nationals, were “illegally present in the United States or in violation of their presence in the United States, working unlawfully,” Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, said at a news conference Friday morning.
It was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations, Schrank said, adding it “underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans.”
A sea of agents from HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies showed up Thursday to a construction site in the town of Ellabell, where the South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a battery plant next to their manufacturing facility for electric vehicles.
Videos on social media showed agents lining up hundreds of workers at the construction site. Schrank said they questioned everyone about their immigration status, reviewing their documents and conducting background checks.
“This was not a immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses. This has been a multimonth criminal investigation,” Schranck said.
No criminal charges in connection to the investigation had been filed as of Friday.
U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap said in a statement that more than 400 agents participated in the massive enforcement action, which is part of the broader nationwide initiative “Operation Take Back America,” described as an effort “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.”
The South Korean government responded to the detentions of many of their nationals in a statement Friday.
“In the course of U.S. law enforcement, the economic activities of our investment firms and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed upon,” said Lee Jae-woong, a spokesperson for South Korea’s foreign ministry. “We conveyed our concern and regret to the U.S. Embassy today and urged them to take special care to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our nationals are not violated.”
Jae-woong added that an on-site task force will be established in Georgia with the help of the South Korean consulate in Atlanta.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NBC News that President Donald Trump remains committed “to make the United States the best place in the world to do business, while also enforcing federal immigration laws.”
“The United States is proud to be a home for major investments and looks forward to continuing to build on these historic investments and partnerships that President Trump has secured,” Jackson said in a statement. “Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorizations.”
A Hyundai spokesperson told NBC News in a statement Friday that the company is “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. We prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone working at the site and comply with all laws and regulations wherever we operate,” the statement reads.
LG Energy Solution did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Schrank, the workers arrested at the construction site were employed by a network of various contractors and subcontractors, which investigators are looking into.
They all remain in ICE custody after most were brought to the Folkston immigration processing center in Georgia following their arrests, Shrank said.
South Korea, the world’s 10th-largest economy, is a major automotive and electronics manufacturer whose companies have multiple plants in the United States. In July, Seoul pledged $350 billion in U.S. investment in an effort to lower Trump’s threatened tariffs on its products, which he ended up setting at 15%.
In March, Hyundai said it would invest $21 billion in U.S. onshoring from 2025 to 2028, a number it said last month had increased to $26 billion.
It said the initiatives involved in the investment — including a new $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana, expanded U.S. auto production capacity and a state-of-the-art robotics facility — were expected to create about 25,000 direct jobs in the U.S. over the next four years.
Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia, where the raided construction site stands, is one of the largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites in the state.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials have said that the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,400 people, is the largest economic development project in the state’s history.
Hyundai, South Korea’s biggest automaker, began manufacturing electric vehicles there about a year ago. The company recently partnered with LG Energy Solution to build the adjacent battery plant, expected to open next year, where the immigration raid took place.
Federal and immigration agents arrested 475 people while executing a judicial search warrant at a Hyundai facility in Georgia as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices.Everyone arrested, most of them South Korean nationals, were “illegally present in the United States or in violation of their presence in the United States, working unlawfully,” Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, said at a news conference Friday morning. It was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations, Schrank said, adding it “underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans.” A sea of agents from HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies showed up Thursday to a construction site in the town of Ellabell, where the South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a battery plant next to their manufacturing facility for electric vehicles.Videos on social media showed agents lining up hundreds of workers at the construction site. Schrank said they questioned everyone about their immigration status, reviewing their documents and conducting background checks.”This was not a immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses. This has been a multimonth criminal investigation,” Schranck said.No criminal charges in connection to the investigation had been filed as of Friday.U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap said in a statement that more than 400 agents participated in the massive enforcement action, which is part of the broader nationwide initiative “Operation Take Back America,” described as an effort “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.”The South Korean government responded to the detentions of many of their nationals in a statement Friday. “In the course of U.S. law enforcement, the economic activities of our investment firms and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed upon,” said Lee Jae-woong, a spokesperson for South Korea’s foreign ministry. “We conveyed our concern and regret to the U.S. Embassy today and urged them to take special care to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our nationals are not violated.”Jae-woong added that an on-site task force will be established in Georgia with the help of the South Korean consulate in Atlanta.White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NBC News that President Donald Trump remains committed “to make the United States the best place in the world to do business, while also enforcing federal immigration laws.”“The United States is proud to be a home for major investments and looks forward to continuing to build on these historic investments and partnerships that President Trump has secured,” Jackson said in a statement. “Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorizations.”A Hyundai spokesperson told NBC News in a statement Friday that the company is “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. We prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone working at the site and comply with all laws and regulations wherever we operate,” the statement reads.LG Energy Solution did not immediately respond to a request for comment.According to Schrank, the workers arrested at the construction site were employed by a network of various contractors and subcontractors, which investigators are looking into.They all remain in ICE custody after most were brought to the Folkston immigration processing center in Georgia following their arrests, Shrank said. South Korea, the world’s 10th-largest economy, is a major automotive and electronics manufacturer whose companies have multiple plants in the United States. In July, Seoul pledged $350 billion in U.S. investment in an effort to lower Trump’s threatened tariffs on its products, which he ended up setting at 15%.In March, Hyundai said it would invest $21 billion in U.S. onshoring from 2025 to 2028, a number it said last month had increased to $26 billion.It said the initiatives involved in the investment — including a new $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana, expanded U.S. auto production capacity and a state-of-the-art robotics facility — were expected to create about 25,000 direct jobs in the U.S. over the next four years.Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia, where the raided construction site stands, is one of the largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites in the state.Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials have said that the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,400 people, is the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Hyundai, South Korea’s biggest automaker, began manufacturing electric vehicles there about a year ago. The company recently partnered with LG Energy Solution to build the adjacent battery plant, expected to open next year, where the immigration raid took place. Adblock test (Why?)
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