ICE raids Georgia Hyundai EV plant, detains 475 illegal workers after Sen Jon Ossoff spearheaded opening

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 475 illegal immigrants at a Hyundai facility in Georgia on Thursday. The worksite enforcement operation is part of the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in the US.

The installation of the EV factory was spearheaded by Senator Jon Ossoff, who was integral to bringing the project to fruition. At the time, he said "When I led a trade delegation to South Korea last month, securing this LG-Hyundai battery investment to Georgia was a key goal. The [Investment Reduction Act's] manufacturing incentives continue to bring jobs and investment to Georgia."

The plant was expected to create 3,000 jobs, but it turns out that about 500 of them were not for legal, American workers. Many South Korean nationals were among those detained.

The Hyundai battery plant, located in Savannah, Georgia, saw 475 illegal immigrants detained, and in a news conference following the arrests, Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank said, "We are sending a clear and unequivocal message that those who exploit our workforce, undermine our economy and violate federal laws will be held accountable."

"This has been a multi-month criminal investigation where we have developed evidence, conducted interviews, gathered documents and presented that evidence to the court in order to obtain a judicial search warrant," he added.

No criminal charges were announced during the conference at the time, but those illegally in the US were being held in ICE custody.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (AFT) division in Atlanta posted about the raid, "Today, AFT Atlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety."

According to CBS Austin, the Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing electric vehicles at the Savannah location around a year ago and it employs 1,200 people. The investment into the plant cost $7.6 billion.

DHS said that the raid was "part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”

South Korea, where Hyundai is based, said that "many" South Korean nationals were also detained at the time. “The economic activities of our companies investing in the US and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated."