ICE Launches Major Raid on Hyundai-LG Factory in Georgia as Criticism Rises

More than 500 federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel participated in a major immigration raid at a battery factory that is under construction in Ellabell, Georgia, west of Savannah. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) called it the biggest single-site enforcement action in the agency’s history as agents arrested workers for various immigration violations. 

The raid occurred at an electric vehicle battery factory being built jointly by Korean conglomerates Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. 475 people were arrested with more than 300 of those South Korean nationals. Most of the arrested worked for contractors and subcontractors building the factory, with 47 working for LG Energy. None worked directly for Hyundai. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) lead Georgia agent Steven Schrank said some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the U.S. border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working. A green card holder from Mexico was also arrested after being determined to be removable from the U.S. due to multiple criminal convictions. 

“This is not primarily about immigration status — it is about accountability under the law. Thanks to the strong partnerships across federal and state law enforcement, we are holding accountable those who exploit the system for personal gain,” said HSI’s Schrank. 

The South Korean nationals were placed in a holding facility, as they waited on a plane to take them back to South Korea. 

But lawyers for some of the detained workers insist they were working legally. 

Atlanta immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who is representing several detainees, told CNN his clients “had a specific time they were going to be here and leave, for a specific task that they were assigned to do here as part of their company’s contract with Hyundai. 

And an anonymous employee told the BBC about the panic and confusion as the raid began, with some employees jumping into a nearby sewage pond to escape authorities. The detainees were then separated into groups based on nationality and visa status, before being loaded onto coaches. 

Global Business Impact

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is assuring the global business community that the raid should not deter investment in the United States. 

“We’re encouraging all companies who want to come to the United States and help our economy and employ people, that we encourage them to employ U.S. citizens and to bring people to our country that want to follow our laws and work here the right way,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to reporters in London.