Gov’t says 475 caught in immigration raid at GA Hyundai electric vehicle plant were here illegally

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. — A major immigration raid at the Hyundai Electric Vehicle Plant near Pooler led to the arrest of more than 450 individuals, primarily South Korean nationals.

But Hyundai says those who were arrested weren’t directly employed by the South Korean car company.

The operation, conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security, involved around 400 agents. The government says the raid was prompted by allegations of unlawful employment of immigrants here illegally.

Channel 2’s Richard Elliot reports the majority of those arrested are currently detained at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia.

The White House has expressed support for the raid, emphasizing the importance of legal entry for foreign workers involved in U.S. projects. Meanwhile, Democratic critics have labeled the raid as politically motivated.

South Korea is responding to the incident by sending diplomats from its embassy in Washington and its consulate to Georgia. This move underscores the international implications of the raid, given the significant number of South Korean nationals involved.

Hyundai Motor Company released an updated statement Friday night, saying the company believes none of the people arrested works directly for the company. The statement says in part:

“We are closely monitoring the situation while working to understand the specific circumstances. Based on our current understanding, none of those detained is directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company.

Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate. This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws. We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors."

At a news conference in Savannah, Homeland Security officials clarified that this was not a routine ICE raid but was specifically targeted due to federal law violations.

“The goal of this operation is to reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap in a statement. “Another goal is to protect unauthorized workers from exploitation.”

Steven Schrank, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, said at a news briefing Friday that the majority of the people detained were from South Korea.

“This operation underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans,” Schrank said. “This was in fact the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday that the Department of Public Safety coordinated with federal agencies to provide support for the operation.

“In Georgia, we will always enforce the law, including all state and federal immigration laws,” the spokesperson said. “All companies operating within the State must follow the laws of Georgia and our nation.”

The investigation has been ongoing for several months, with authorities receiving leads from community members and former workers, he said.

The operation targeted one of Georgia’s largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, touted by the governor and other officials as the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people.

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