A large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG battery factory under construction in Georgia has escalated into a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Seoul, after U.S. authorities detained 475 workers, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals.
The raid, carried out Thursday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and multiple federal agencies, marks the largest single-site enforcement operation in the agency's history. The plant, part of a $5.5 billion Hyundai-LG joint venture to supply electric vehicle batteries, has been hailed as one of the signature foreign investment projects in the United States.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung instructed his government to respond swiftly. "We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said, according to Yonhap News. He added that Seoul may dispatch senior officials to Washington, D.C., or to the Georgia site itself.
President Donald Trump defended the operation, telling reporters at the White House on Friday: "I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job." Steven Schrank, an ICE official, said those detained had either crossed the border illegally, overstayed their visas, or were working under visas that prohibited employment.
The sweep began early Thursday, with nearly 500 federal, state, and local officers descending on the sprawling construction site in Ellabell, about 25 miles west of Savannah. Workers described the scene as chaotic. "They just told everybody to get on the wall," one employee told CNN. "We stood there for about an hour and were then taken to another section where we waited...then we went in another building and got processed."
Some attempted to evade capture. Federal prosecutors said several workers fled into a sewage pond, with one trying to overturn a boat used by agents. Others hid in air ducts, where they were later discovered. By evening, all 475 detainees were transported to the Folkston ICE Processing Center.
Hyundai and LG Energy Solution both distanced themselves from those arrested. Hyundai said in a statement that none of the detained individuals were directly employed by the company, while LG said it was "gathering all relevant details" and would cooperate fully with authorities.
The incident has stirred political backlash in Seoul. Opposition leaders warned the crackdown could damage Korean businesses in the U.S. "This is a grave matter that could lead to broader repercussions for Korean companies and communities across the United States," said People Power Party chairman Jang Dong-hyeok.
Georgia officials backed the raid. "In Georgia, we will always enforce the law, including all state and federal immigration laws," a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp said. The state has been a strong supporter of the Hyundai project, which is expected to employ up to 8,500 people when complete.
Attorneys representing some detained South Koreans argued that at least two were engineers who had entered legally under visa waiver programs to provide technical support and had planned to return home shortly. "They were authorized to work in the U.S. under a visa waiver," attorney Charles Kuck said.
The Biden administration faced criticism for prior worksite raids, but under Trump's second term immigration enforcement has been expanded significantly. ICE officials emphasized that Thursday's action was part of a multi-month criminal investigation into "allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes."
