ICE Raid on Hyundai plant in Georgia Swept Up Workers on Visitor Visas

AP

The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is seen on March 26, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a large-scale raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detaining 475 workers accused of violating immigration laws. The majority of those arrested were South Korean nationals alleged to have breached the conditions of their visitor visas by engaging in unauthorised employment.

In a statement, ICE declared that the enforcement action was “necessary to protect American jobs”, underscoring that those entering the country on short-term or recreational visas are not legally permitted to work. The operation, officials added, formed part of an “active, ongoing criminal investigation”.

Of those detained, more than 300 were identified as South Korean citizens. The detainees were transferred to an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending further decisions on relocation. 

Hyundai and its partner, LG Energy Solution, which jointly operate the plant, sought to distance themselves from the controversy. Hyundai clarified that none of the detainees were directly employed by the company, while LG stressed its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of employees and pledged full cooperation with US authorities.

The raid has triggered diplomatic repercussions, with South Korea dispatching officials to Georgia and urging that the rights of its citizens be respected. Seoul’s foreign ministry issued a firm statement, warning that “the economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations”.

The intervention highlights the delicate balance between Washington’s drive to attract foreign investment and its stringent immigration enforcement. The Hyundai–LG facility, which manufactures electric vehicles, had previously been hailed by Georgia’s Republican governor as the largest economic development initiative in the state’s history, employing more than 1,200 workers.

U.S. President Donald Trump, said in the Oval Office on Friday: "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job."

Asked by a reporter about the reaction from Seoul, he said: "Well, we want to get along with other countries, and we want to have a great, stable workforce.

"And we have, as I understand it, a lot of illegal aliens, some not the best of people, but we had a lot of illegal aliens working there."

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank defended the enforcement action, stressing that while the U.S. welcomed international companies and foreign workers, compliance with immigration law was non-negotiable. “This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable,” he said.



PUKMEDIA