Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Friday that 475 illegal migrants were arrested during a major enforcement raid at the Hyundai–LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Ellabell, Georgia, about 20 miles from Savannah.
The operation, carried out Thursday, was the largest single-site raid ever conducted by HSI. It follows a series of workplace crackdowns under the Trump administration.
Federal Operation
HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank said the raid targeted both Hyundai subcontractors and workers at the site. “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,” Schrank said.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ICE, FBI, DEA, CBP, ATF, IRS, the U.S. Department of Labor, and Georgia State Patrol assisted in the operation. DHS described it as part of a larger criminal probe into unlawful employment practices and other federal crimes.
Plant Details
The Hyundai–LGES facility, valued at between $4.3 and $7.6 billion, is the largest single industrial investment in Georgia’s history. It is expected to supply batteries to Hyundai’s nearby EV plant. Construction, spread across 3,000 acres, has been temporarily suspended, though operations at the adjacent EV facility were not disrupted.
Company and Foreign Response
Hyundai said none of its direct employees were among those detained. “We prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone working at the site and comply with all laws and regulations wherever we operate,” the company said.
LGES stated it is cooperating with authorities and monitoring the situation.
South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed “concern and regret,” dispatching officials to Georgia and warning that its companies’ activities and workers’ rights “should not be infringed unfairly in the U.S. legal enforcement process,” according to the Financial Times.
On the Ground
Video from the raid showed workers in yellow safety vests lined up as HSI agents in tactical gear announced: “We’re Homeland Security. We have a search warrant for the whole site. We need construction to cease immediately.”
