Massive Immigration Raid at Georgia Hyundai EV Plant Detains Hundreds, Sparks International Concern

A large-scale immigration raid on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at a Hyundai electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Ellabell, Georgia, resulted in the detention of 475 individuals, predominantly South Korean nationals. Federal agents descended on the sprawling site, marking what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) described as the agency’s ‘largest single site enforcement operation‘ in two decades.

Video footage released by ICE on Saturday, September 6, showed agents directing workers to line up, with some being frisked, shackled, and boarded onto transfer buses. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun confirmed Saturday that over 300 South Koreans were among those detained, prompting the South Korean government to express ‘concern and regret’ and dispatch diplomats to the site. Seoul emphasized that the rights of its nationals and the business activities of its investors ‘must not be unjustly infringed.’

The raid is the culmination of a monthslong investigation into alleged illegal hiring practices at the site, which is widely recognized as one of Georgia’s most significant economic development projects. While Hyundai Motor Company stated it was unaware of any of its direct employees being detained and is reviewing supplier practices, some detainees reportedly worked for HL-GA Battery Co., a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, or for contractors at the construction site.

Detained individuals include those suspected of illegally crossing the U.S. border, those with expired visas, or those on visa waivers prohibiting work. An immigration attorney noted some clients were short-term visitors on business/tourism waivers. Community advocates, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, condemned the raid, calling it ‘unacceptable’ and highlighting the impact on families. Most detainees have been transported to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, with investigations ongoing and no charges filed yet.

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