ICE’s largest HSI raid ever detains mostly South Koreans at Georgia Hyundai plant

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 475 people — most being South Korean nationals — at a Hyundai facility in Georgia last week in what officials describe as the “largest single-site enforcement operation” in Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) history.

What happened: Hundreds of agents arrived at the Hyundai Metaplant America construction site in Ellabell Thursday to execute search warrants following a months-long probe. Some workers reportedly attempted to escape by hiding in air ducts, while others fled to a sewage pond before being “fished out.”

Steven Schrank, who leads HSI in Georgia, said the detainees included people who entered the U.S. illegally, visa overstayers and a permanent resident with prior firearm and drug convictions who faced removal proceedings. Court documents show prosecutors remain uncertain about which entities hired what they termed “hundreds of illegal aliens.” The operation shut down construction at the battery manufacturing site, which is a partnership between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution.

Why this matters: South Korean nationals have historically avoided large-scale immigration enforcement, with only 46 deportations nationwide during the 12-month period ending September 2024 compared to over 270,000 total removals. Thursday’s operation marks a departure from previous enforcement goals of targeting the “worst of the worst,” extending instead to major corporate worksites and international business operations. One attorney, Charles Kuck, said two clients detained in the raid had entered the country legally under visa waiver programs for business purposes, with one arriving just days earlier and planning imminent departure. Families back in South Korea face additional challenges of locating their detained relatives.

The operation also creates complications for U.S.-South Korea relations at a time when Seoul has committed $350 billion in American investments to secure favorable trade terms, including avoiding Trump’s 15% tariff threats. Hyundai separately pledged $26 billion for domestic manufacturing projects expected to generate 25,000 jobs. In a statement shared with The Rebel Yellow, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium Co-Director Becky Belcore stressed, “These raids are not about safety, justice, or fairness — they are about reinforcing a system that thrives on fear and exploitation. For decades, immigration enforcement and mass raids in the U.S. have been used as a tool to target communities of color and to advance a white supremacist, nationalist agenda.”

How Seoul is responding: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has directed officials to pursue an “all-out response” to swiftly resolve the matter. So far, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has dispatched diplomats to the site and contacted the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, urging American officials “to exercise extreme caution” regarding its citizens’ rights. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also indicated readiness to travel personally to Washington for direct discussions with U.S. officials. In response to the raid, LG Energy Solution suspended all business trips to the U.S. and instructed workers visiting the country to return to South Korea immediately.

Most detainees remain held at an ICE detention facility in Folkston, with additional arrests expected.