Hundreds Arrested at Georgia Hyundai Plant in Massive Operation

According to reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested approximately 475 people during a raid on a Hyundai manufacturing plant outside of Savannah, Georgia, that produces electric cars and is in a joint venture with South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions to make car batteries. The workers at the battery plant under construction were arrested “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. The search warrant showed that four Latino workers at the facility were initially sought.

An ICE spokesperson said the raid was “the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.” About 300 of those arrested were from South Korea, whose government expressed “concerns and regret” to the United States and urged “special attention to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens are not violated.” A South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson said that 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.” Yvonne Brooks, president of the Georgia American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), said, “Georgia’s labor movement is outraged by ICE’s escalating presence at workplaces across the state.”

Many of the workers were apparently employed by contractors. Hyundai said in a statement that “it is our understanding that none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai.” A Hyundai spokesperson said, “We are cooperating with law enforcement and are committed to abiding by all labor and immigration regulations.”

The detainees were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending a decision on where they should be taken. In late-breaking news, South Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced a plan to return the South Korean detainees to South Korea on a chartered flight after “administrative procedures” were completed. On the “State of the Union” show on September 7, 2025, President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan,said that “we’re going to do more worksite enforcement operations.”

This is posting is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. If you require further assistance or advice relating to the above, If you require further assistance or advice relating to the above, please contact our Principal Lawyer, Janice Flynn at janice@flynnhodkinson.com.