ICE Raids Hyundai EV Plant, Detains 450 Including South Koreans in Georgia

U.S. immigration authorities conducted a major raid at a Hyundai Motor Group electric vehicle manufacturing and construction site in southeast Georgia, detaining approximately 450 people, including a significant number of South Korean nationals. The operation, focused on the construction site for an adjacent battery plant, led to a halt in construction and involved multiple federal agencies including ICE, FBI, DEA, and Georgia State Patrol. South Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the raid, emphasizing that the economic activities of Korean companies and the rights of their nationals should not be unfairly infringed during U.S. law enforcement actions and dispatched diplomats to the site. The $7.6 billion Hyundai plant, which employs about 1,200 people and is part of one of Georgia's largest economic development projects, has been manufacturing EVs for a year, with the battery plant scheduled to open next year. Federal authorities executed a search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes. Hyundai and its battery plant partner have stated they are cooperating fully with authorities during the investigation.