ICE Raids Georgia Hyundai Plant, Detains 475 Workers

Topline: U.S. immigration agents carried out a large‐scale raid Thursday at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing site in Ellabell, Georgia, detaining 475 individuals suspected of unauthorized work.

Subheadings:

  • Raid at Major EV Facility
  • Diplomatic Tensions Rise
  • Local and Political Reactions

Lead: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 475 individuals at Hyundai’s $7.6 billion electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on September 5 as part of a months-long probe into alleged illegal hiring practices.

Nut Graf: The raid, described by ICE as the largest single-site enforcement operation in Homeland Security Investigations history, targeted workers - predominantly South Korean nationals - subcontracted to assemble EVs and batteries. Its scale and focus on a marquee economic-development project have sparked diplomatic concern and domestic debate over immigration enforcement and labor practices.

Raid at Major EV Facility Federal agents descended on Hyundai’s sprawling Bryan County campus, where vehicle assembly began last year and an adjacent battery plant is under construction. Authorities said the operation followed community and whistle-blower leads alleging the hiring of unauthorized workers. Agents processed detainees onsite, using buses and even a boat to extract individuals who fled into a sewage pond to evade capture.

Diplomatic Tensions Rise South Korea’s foreign minister, Cho Hyun, announced consideration of a U.S. visit to press the Trump administration for the rights and swift repatriation of its citizens. President Lee Jae Myung demanded “all-out necessary measures” to protect the detained nationals and South Korean investments in the U.S..

Local and Political Reactions Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who championed the plant as the state’s largest economic development project, affirmed that all employers must comply with federal law. Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock criticized the raid as “politically motivated” and warned it risks harming Georgia’s workforce and economy. Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta called the operation “unacceptable” and urged transparent due process.

Further Details:

  • The facility employs about 1,200 workers and sits roughly 25 miles west of Savannah.
  • ICE is investigating who managed hiring and subcontracting; no criminal charges have been filed yet.
  • Hyundai and its partner LG Energy Solution pledged full cooperation and emphasized employee safety.

The raid underscores intensifying U.S. efforts to enforce immigration laws at high-profile industrial sites, even as it strains relations with key international partners and local stakeholders.