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USA — A large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, United States, has led to the detention of nearly 500 workers, a majority of whom are South Korean nationals, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The operation, described as the largest single-site enforcement action in the history of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has drawn strong condemnation from South Korea and highlighted a growing diplomatic and economic friction between the two allies.
The raid took place on Thursday, 4 September 2025, at a sprawling 3,000-acre site in Bryan County, Georgia, a joint venture between South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. US officials stated that 475 people were found to be working illegally, primarily on visitor visas that do not permit employment.
While over 300 of the detainees are confirmed to be Korean nationals, a US immigration lawyer in Atlanta has claimed that at least two of his clients were wrongly caught in the raid while attending business meetings under a visa waiver program. A Mexican citizen and green card holder with a criminal record was also among those detained.
South Korea's foreign ministry has dispatched diplomats to the site and expressed "grave concern and regret" over the arrests. In a statement on Friday, 5 September 2025, the ministry urged the US to respect the rights of its citizens and ensure that the economic activities of Korean companies are not unfairly infringed upon.
The operation comes at a sensitive time for US-South Korea relations, particularly following recent agreements where Korean companies, including Hyundai, pledged to invest billions of dollars in key US industries. These investments are partly a strategic move to avoid US tariffs. The factory itself was touted by Georgia's governor as the state's largest-ever economic development project, with an estimated 1,200 jobs.
The raid underscores a potential conflict between President Donald Trump's stated priorities: encouraging foreign investment to boost US manufacturing while simultaneously enforcing a strict crackdown on illegal immigration.
In a statement on Friday, 5 September 2025, President Trump defended the raid, saying, "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job." He also claimed, without evidence, that many of the workers were "people that came through with Biden."
Hyundai Motor Company has stated that none of the detained workers were directly employed by the company, suggesting they were employed by subcontractors.
Construction on the battery plant has been paused as authorities continue their investigation into allegations of "unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes." The electric vehicle manufacturing plant, however, remains operational.
