Federal agents swarmed Hyundai’s sprawling EV complex outside Savannah on Thursday, detaining more than 450 workers in what Homeland Security Investigations called the largest single-site enforcement operation in its history.
DHS says agents executed a judge-approved search warrant at the 3,000-acre Metaplant and its adjacent HL-GA Battery Company construction site over alleged “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.” Video from the scene shows masked officers lining up hard-hat crews and ordering all work to stop.
HSI later put the tally at 475 apprehensions, and officials said many were South Korean nationals. Seoul called the action an “unjust infringement” on its citizens’ rights, lodged a formal complaint via the US Embassy, and dispatched diplomats to the site. It’s unclear how many South Koreans were among those held; some reports say hundreds.
The company said none of those detained appear to be directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company, and that it’s working to understand what happened. The battery JV with LG Energy Solution said it’s cooperating fully. Construction on the battery plant was paused; Hyundai said assembly operations at the EV plant continued.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has touted the Metaplant as the biggest economic development project in Georgia’s history—promising up to 8,500 jobs and cementing billions in South Korean investment meant, in part, to sidestep tariffs. Thursday’s raid underscores the collision between worksite immigration enforcement and foreign-backed industrial policy.
The operation—backed by ATF, FBI, DEA, Georgia State Patrol and others—fits with President Trump’s second-term vow of mass deportations, with a stated focus on workplaces and criminal violations. No charges have been filed so far; HSI says the investigation is ongoing and aimed at holding employers and bad actors to account.
Seoul wants “extreme caution” going forward and says Korean firms’ activities must not be unfairly infringed. Expect tough questions for Hyundai and its contractors about hiring and vetting, and for Washington and Atlanta about how to balance enforcement with marquee investment projects powering the US EV push.
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