ICE Detains 475 In Immigration Raid At GA Hyundai Plant: Reports

ELLABELL, GA — Nearly 500 people, including several from South Korea, were detained Thursday during a federal immigration raid at a Georgia Hyundai plant — the largest in the history of Homeland Security Investigations, media reports say.

The raid, led by the U.S. Homeland Security, targeted the South Korean manufacturing facility, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America. The plant is used to make electric vehicles in Ellabell, which is located about 27 miles from Savannah.

Immigration officials detained 475 people during the raid. The detainees were suspected of unlawfully living and working in the U.S., CBS News reported citing federal officials.

While South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong did not specify how many of the detainees were from South Korea, the Associated Press reported a "large" amount of them were from his country.

A news briefing was held Friday, which included Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, according to the Associated Press and CBS News.

The raid was the most sizable enforcement operation at one site in Homeland Security's history, CBS News reported.

"This operation underscores our commitment to protecting jobs for Georgians and Americans, ensuring a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law, safeguarding the integrity of our economy and protecting workers from exploitation," Schrank said, per CBS News.

A number of the detainees were suspected of violating their visa waivers, unlawfully entering the U.S. or overstaying their visas, Schrank said at a news conference.

Jaewoong said the detainees were subcontractors who were employed by various companies at the plant, the Associated Press reported.

Numerous agents from HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies arrived Thursday at a site in Ellabell, where South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a battery plant next to their manufacturing facility for electric vehicles, NBC News reported.

Videos posted on social media showed agents lining up hundreds of workers at the site. Schrank said everyone was questioned about their immigration status, their documents were reviewed and background checks were done.

"This was not a immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses. This has been a multimonth criminal investigation," Schranck said, according to NBC News.

The raid came after a probe that spanned months after "allegations of unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes" surfaced, Schrank said, per CBS News. Potential criminal charges have not been released.

Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America came to fruition after a 2022 agreement with joint venture partner LG Energy Solution, according to a February 2024 news release from Gov. Brian Kemp.

At the time, Kemp's office noted more than $4.3 billion were being put into a battery cell manufacturing joint venture at the Metaplant in Bryan County, and Hyundai was partnering with SK On for a Bartow County electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility that was set to supply Hyundai Motor Group’s plants in the U.S.

“Georgia is like a second home to us,” Hyundai Motor Group said in the February 2024 release. “On behalf of all of us at Hyundai Motor Group, we are very proud that Hyundai’s investments in Georgia will create tens of thousands of great paying American jobs and bring tens of billions of dollars in economic impact for decades to come. Thank you to our partners and to the great people of Georgia for your support and for making us feel so much at home.”

About 1,200 people were staffed at Hyundai's Ellabell plant, which cost $7.6 billion when it opened last year, the Associated Press reported.

Following the raid, LG told the Associated Press that it was monitoring the incident and compiling related details.

“Our top priority is always ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees and partners. We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities,” LG told the Associated Press.

Hyundai’s South Korean office has not publicly commented.