Nearly 500 individuals were detained during a large-scale immigration operation at a Hyundai manufacturing facility in the US state of Georgia, marking the largest workplace raid during US President Donald Trump’s second term.
Immigration authorities reported that 475 individuals were detained, of whom 300 are South Korean nationals. The detainees are being held at an US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, pending further decisions about their placement.
The Hyundai manufacturing facility, which covers 3,000 acres and is dedicated to the production of electric vehicles, has been operational for one year, reports the BBC.
In light of the raid, South Korea announced it would send diplomats to the site and had reached out to the US embassy in Seoul, urging the US to “exercise extreme caution” regarding the rights of Korean citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the raid was carried out under a search warrant due to suspected “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal offenses.”
Steve Schrank, a special agent overseeing Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, said, “This was not an immigration operation where agents went into the premises, rounded up folks and put them on buses,” during a press briefing on Friday.
Schrank added the “criminal investigation” has been underway for many months, and evidence has been obtained by conducting interviews, and compiling documents, all “in order to obtain a judicial search warrant.”
The operation highlights a potential conflict between two of President Trump’s key priorities—promoting domestic manufacturing and combating illegal immigration. It also risks creating tension with a vital international ally.
Trump commented on Friday in response to the raid, “They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job.” When asked about Seoul’s reaction, he remarked the US places importance in maintaining relations with other countries in order to have “a great, stable workforce”, but reiterated, “we had a lot of illegal aliens working there.”
Hyundai Motor Company issued a statement confirming it was “closely monitoring the situation” and trying to figure out the “specific circumstances”. The company clarified, “As of today, it is our understanding that none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai.”
The raid did not disrupt Hyundai’s electric vehicle production at the site, although its partner in the battery project, South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions, halted construction activities at the facility.
Social media footage from the scene shows agents instructing workers and informing them of the search warrant, while some employees were seen conversing with the authorities.
The South Korean foreign ministry stated, “The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations.”
Trump’s administration has focused on attracting foreign investments while imposing tariffs to encourage domestic manufacturing. South Korean firms have promised to invest billions of dollars into critical US industries in part to sidestep these tariffs.