Immigration Raid at Hyundai's Electric Vehicle Plant in Georgia Detains 475 People

Federal agents, as part of a monthslong investigation, conducted a raid at Hyundai's electric vehicle manufacturing site in Georgia, detaining 475 people, most of whom were South Korean nationals. The operation aimed to address allegations of illegal hiring and was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the agency's two-decade history. The Hyundai site, located in a rural area of Bryan County, is a $7.6 billion plant that began producing electric vehicles a year ago and employs around 1,200 people. The raid targeted an adjacent plant under construction, where Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are partnered to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

Key Takeaways:

• The operation was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the agency's two-decade history, with 475 people detained, most of whom were South Korean nationals.
• The investigation was a monthslong probe into allegations of illegal hiring at the Hyundai site, which is one of Georgia's largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites.
• The detained workers included both those who had entered the country illegally and those who had entered legally but had expired visas or entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.
• The Hyundai site, located in rural Bryan County, employs around 1,200 people and is a $7.6 billion plant that began producing electric vehicles a year ago.
• The adjacent plant under construction, where Hyundai and LG Energy Solution produce batteries for electric vehicles, was also targeted in the raid.
• The South Korean government expressed concern and regret over the operation targeting its citizens.
• Immigration attorney Charles Kuck stated that two of his clients who were detained had arrived from South Korea under a visa waiver program.
• Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, noted that while some detained workers had entered the U.S. illegally, others had entered legally but had expired visas.

Statistics:

• 475 people were detained in the raid
• 46 Koreans were deported during the 12-month period that ended September 30, 2024, out of more than 270,000 removals for all nationalities, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• The Hyundai site employs around 1,200 people.
• The $7.6 billion plant is one of the largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites in Georgia.
• Over 1.2 million immigrants left the US labor force from January through July, citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sources:

• "Immigration Raid at Hyundai's Electric Vehicle Plant in Georgia Detains 475 People" by New Delhi Times, September 6
• "U.S. Labor Force Lost More Than 1.2 Million Immigrants From January Through July" by Pew Research Center
• "ICE Enforcement Actions Reach Record High in August" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Other Officials Have Touted the Hyundai Plant as the State's Largest Economic Development Project" by New Delhi Times