Hundreds Detained in Massive ICE Raid at Hyundai Plant in Georgia
A dramatic immigration enforcement operation has shaken Georgia and made headlines worldwide. At the center of it all is a Hyundai battery plant, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—better known as ICE—carried out one of the largest workplace raids in Homeland Security history.
On Thursday, officials said nearly 475 workers were detained, most of them South Korean citizens. Many had entered the country on visitor visas, which legally allow short-term travel for tourism or business but do not permit employment. ICE insisted the raid was necessary, framing it as a way to safeguard American jobs and ensure that companies are following immigration law.
The detained workers are being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, while decisions are made about their next steps. Reports indicate that more than 300 of those taken into custody are South Korean nationals. Interestingly, Hyundai stated that none of the arrested individuals were directly employed by the company. Instead, the plant—operated in partnership with LG Energy Solution—relies heavily on contractors. LG responded by saying it would fully cooperate with authorities while stressing that the safety and wellbeing of employees and partners remain its top priority.
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For South Korea, the raid struck a nerve. The country has invested heavily in U.S. manufacturing, particularly in areas like electric vehicles and clean energy. Its government quickly dispatched diplomats to Georgia and demanded that its citizens’ rights be respected. South Korea’s foreign minister even called an emergency meeting, expressing what he described as a “great sense of responsibility” for the situation.
ICE, however, described the raid as part of a broader criminal investigation. Officials said the individuals were found to be working illegally in violation of their visas. One detainee was reported to be a Mexican green card holder with a criminal record involving drugs, theft, and weapons. Homeland Security agents defended the operation, saying that companies are welcome to bring in international talent but must do so legally.
Still, questions have been raised. At least two people were said to have been wrongly detained, according to an Atlanta-based immigration lawyer. He explained that his clients had entered the U.S. under a visa waiver program that allowed them to attend business meetings for up to 90 days, and they were not working illegally.
The raid has also exposed a potential clash of priorities for Washington. On the one hand, foreign companies like Hyundai and LG are being encouraged to build factories in America, bringing billions in investment and jobs. On the other hand, the administration has vowed to crack down hard on illegal immigration. President Trump himself commented, saying ICE was “just doing its job,” while also acknowledging the importance of maintaining good relations with allies like South Korea.
This factory in Georgia had been hailed as the state’s largest economic development project, promising more than a thousand jobs tied to the future of electric vehicles. Now, instead of a celebration of economic progress, the site has become the focal point of a major immigration showdown—one that may strain U.S.–South Korea relations while reigniting debates over immigration, jobs, and the balance between enforcement and diplomacy.
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