Federal agents detained nearly 500 workers during an immigration raid Sept. 4 at a construction site for a Hyundai-LG battery plant near Savannah, Georgia, an operation that has prompted urgent diplomatic engagement from South Korea and raised questions about how large U.S. industrial projects are staffed.
Homeland Security Investigations officials in Atlanta said about 475 people were detained at the Bryan County site several miles west of the Savannah suburb of Pooler on suspicion of being in the United States illegally. U.S. authorities and media reports said at least 300 of those detained were from South Korea.
Steven Schrank, a top official at HSI’s Atlanta bureau, described the operation as 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 some workers either overstayed visas or were employed in violation of visa terms. U.S. officials characterized the enforcement action as part of an ongoing effort to investigate illegal worksite practices.
Hyundai Motor Company said none of the detained foreign nationals were directly employed by the automaker and emphasized that it complies with laws and regulations at its worksites. The plant is still under construction and was described in media reports as the largest single-site operation in Department of Homeland Security history.
The detentions prompted immediate diplomatic moves. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun traveled to the United States to arrange the repatriation of the detained workers after Seoul said Washington had agreed to release them via a diplomatic process. Cho was expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the South Korean presidential office said that South Korean companies’ business activities and workers’ rights “should not be unfairly infringed in the U.S. law enforcement process,” according to a spokesman for President Lee Jae Myung.
James Kim, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, told the Washington Post that constraints and confusion in U.S. visa processes — including limits on H-1B and other visas — had left some skilled workers in a “gray zone.” He said South Korean companies sending technical staff to U.S. plants need clarity on how to bring and use experts for advanced manufacturing work such as batteries and semiconductors.
President Donald Trump publicly supported the raid while urging that the United States remain open to foreign experts who can train American workers in advanced industries. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that foreign investment and talent are welcome if brought legally and accompanied by commitments to hire and train U.S. workers.
The incident renewed scrutiny of how major industrial projects in the United States hire and vet construction and technical labor. The Hyundai-LG battery site was part of broader U.S.-South Korea trade and investment discussions, including a July agreement that Reuters reported would lead to substantial investment by Hyundai in the United States. Media reports have cited a planned Hyundai investment of roughly $26 billion in the U.S.
Then-President Joe Biden had previously highlighted the Savannah-area project during a 2022 trip to South Korea, saying the investment would create thousands of American jobs. The Biden administration and U.S. immigration authorities have faced scrutiny in the past over enforcement actions and visa processing, and the recent raid has intensified debate over balancing enforcement, foreign investment and workforce needs.
U.S. officials said the enforcement action was part of a continuing probe into potential visa violations and improper employment at large worksites. South Korean officials moved quickly to secure the return of their nationals, and U.S. and South Korean authorities said they would coordinate on the repatriation process and on clarifying procedures for legally bringing specialized workers to the United States.
The Hyundai battery plant remains under construction, and company and government officials are continuing discussions about compliance, staffing practices and the participation of foreign technical specialists in advanced manufacturing in the United States. The enforcement action signals increased federal scrutiny of employment practices on major projects and adds a diplomatic element as Washington and Seoul navigate economic ties and labor mobility.