Federal immigration authorities arrested more than 450 workers during a raid on Hyundai’s sprawling electric vehicle manufacturing site in Bryan County, Georgia, escalating tensions between Washington and Seoul over the treatment of South Korean nationals.
The Department of Homeland Security said agents executed a search warrant at the 3,000-acre facility on allegations of “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.” The operation involved multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show agents lining up workers, reading them their rights, and announcing the warrant as they searched the facility.
South Korea Protests Detentions
South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed that some of its citizens were among those detained, though it has not released an exact number. Reports from local media suggested the figure could be in the hundreds.
Calling the arrests an “unjust infringement” on its citizens’ rights, the ministry dispatched diplomats to the site and lodged a formal complaint through the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
“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 ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it had conveyed its “concerns and regrets” directly to Washington and urged U.S. authorities to ensure that “the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon.”
A Landmark Project Disrupted
The Hyundai facility, hailed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp as the state’s largest economic development project in history, opened last year and currently employs about 1,200 workers. It was designed to anchor Hyundai’s investment in U.S.-based electric vehicle production and was expected to generate thousands of jobs in the region.
The federal search also forced a temporary shutdown of construction at an adjacent battery plant tied to the operation, according to CBS News.
South Korean conglomerates, including Hyundai, have pledged billions of dollars in investments in U.S. manufacturing and green energy initiatives, partly to strengthen trade ties and circumvent tariffs.
Political Backdrop
The raid also reverberates in Washington’s political landscape. President Donald Trump, who is campaigning for a second term, has repeatedly promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, with a focus on those accused of committing crimes.
Hyundai has not commented publicly on the raid or on the status of its employees.
For now, the incident threatens to complicate a delicate balance: the Biden administration’s effort to boost domestic clean-energy manufacturing with foreign investment, while maintaining a hard line on immigration enforcement.