ICE Raids Hyundai Plant in Georgia, Arrests Nearly 500 South Korean Workers in Largest U.S. Immigration Sweep

Last week, a massive immigration raid targeted a Hyundai-related battery complex in Ellabell, Georgia.

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AP News

Approximately 475 workers were detained over the course of a day and many were transported to the Folkston ICE Processing Center.

AP News

Sources describe the operation as the largest single-site immigration enforcement action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Most detainees were South Korean, alongside workers from Latin America and some U.S. citizens.

Coverage highlights the raid’s aggressive tactics, including tear gas, helicopters, drones, and blocked exits.

Workers were largely unaware of the raid until after their shifts had ended.

The action took place amid Georgia’s high-profile, multibillion-dollar electric vehicle supply-chain expansion anchored by Hyundai.

Who was detained and what happens next are reported differently.

Most sources agree South Koreans made up the largest group, with others from Latin America and some U.S. citizens.

Workers World

The Guardian and Workers World say roughly 300 South Korean workers will be released and returned home soon, while the status of more than 100 other detainees remains unclear.

Legal status descriptions vary: CNN highlights expired visas or undocumented status and notes one lawful permanent resident arrested due to prior offenses.

Democracy Now! adds many detainees had valid work permits or pending asylum applications.

Accounts of tactics and detention conditions are stark.

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Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! reports the use of tear gas, heavily armed agents, helicopters and drones, and blocked exits to force compliance.

Detainees were taken to Folkston, a facility known for poor and abusive conditions.

Workers World similarly describes a heavily secured operation where many workers only learned what happened after their shifts.

It also states that detainees were taken to the controversial Folkston ICE detention center.

CNN portrays widespread fear and silence in the local community, especially among Korean workers and nearby businesses that rely on them.

Beyond the immediate sweep, the broader economic and diplomatic stakes are significant.

Time Magazine links the raid to Georgia’s booming green-energy investments under the Inflation Reduction Act, noting the gigafactory complex is expected to create thousands of jobs and warning the enforcement action could delay completion and slow Hyundai’s U.S. manufacturing expansion.

The Korea Economic Daily Global Edition

Workers World situates the plant within a $12.6 billion project touted by Governor Brian Kemp.

The Guardian underscores that the sweep has strained U.S.–South Korea relations.

CNN captures the local fallout, with Korean community leaders urging fair treatment of skilled technicians amid a sharp drop-off in patronage at nearby businesses.

Reactions split sharply over the recent labor raid.

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Time Magazine

Workers World reports that local unions like the Georgia AFL-CIO and UAW condemned the raid as part of broader harassment and unsafe conditions.

Time Magazine

These unions urged organized labor to defend migrant workers.

CNN notes protests outside the Hyundai site and mentions appeals from Korean leaders for fair treatment and legal pathways.

Democracy Now! highlights the timing of the raid amid growing tensions over local efforts to attract South Korean investment.

They also stress that no plant owners or company officials were arrested during the raid.

The Guardian adds a partisan angle by reporting that former President Donald Trump defended the raid, calling the workers “illegal aliens.”

Meanwhile, South Korea’s vice-foreign minister expressed regret over the timing of the raid.