A massive immigration raid at a Hyundai–LG Energy joint venture battery plant in Georgia is testing a high-stakes economic partnership between the U.S. and South Korea. Federal agents arrested about 450 workers, including more than 30 South Korean nationals, just weeks after Seoul pledged a $350 billion U.S. investment.
Federal agents with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations executed the raid on Thursday at the construction site in Ellabell, Georgia. Officials said the operation was tied to an investigation into “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
The ATF’s Atlanta office said those arrested were “unlawful aliens.” NBC News verified video showing agents entering the site with a search warrant and ordering construction halted. Workers said they were questioned about their citizenship, while additional footage showed employees lined up and their bags inspected.
South Korea responds
South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed that more than 30 of its nationals were detained and expressed “concern and regret” to the U.S. Embassy. A spokesperson said the “economic activities of our companies investing in the U.S. and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated,” according to Yonhap.
Seoul dispatched consular officials to Washington and Atlanta and set up an on-site task force to monitor the situation.
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The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is one of the world’s most advanced auto factories, using more than 850 robots and nearly 300 automated guided vehicles.
LG Energy confirmed that some of its employees on business travel were detained and said it was working with the South Korean government to secure their release. A spokesperson for the HL-GA Battery Company said the company has paused work at the site while cooperating with investigators.
Why the plant matters
The Ellabell complex, billed as one of the largest manufacturing projects in Georgia’s history, is a $7.6 billion investment by Hyundai and LG Energy. Once complete, it will supply batteries to Hyundai’s nearby electric vehicle plant and is projected to create 8,500 jobs by 2031.
Just last month, Hyundai announced that it would boost its U.S. investment to $26 billion through 2028.
Diplomatic stakes
The raid comes only weeks after Seoul pledged a $350 billion investment in the U.S. as part of talks that ended with a 15% tariff rate on its imports. Analysts warned that repeated large-scale enforcement operations could disrupt cooperation between allies.
“[It] would damage trust and hurt industrial cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea across various industries, with negative repercussions for local communities as well,” said Hur Jung, a professor at Sogang University in Seoul and president of the Korean Association of Trade and Industry Studies.
