US immigration officers detain 475 people at a Hyundai site in Georgia
File photo of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America as seen on Mar 26, 2025, in Ellabell, Georgia, United States. (Photo: AP/Mike Stewart)
WASHINGTON: US immigration authorities executed a judicial search warrant at a Hyundai facility in Georgia on Thursday (Sep 4), detaining 475 people. The sprawling facility is where the South Korean automaker manufactures electric vehicles.
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.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as “large”, though he did not provide an exact figure.
Thursday’s raid 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.
The Trump administration said it will enforce laws that require foreign workers to have proper authorisation to be in the United States, the White House said on Friday, after the Georgia raid.
"Any foreign workers brought in for specific projects must enter the United States legally and with proper work authorisations," said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.
"President Trump will continue delivering on his promise to make the United States the best place in the world to do business, while also enforcing federal immigration laws."
