Federal agents halt construction at Hyundai’s $4.3B Georgia EV battery plant during a massive ICE raid detaining hundreds of workers (Image Caption: CBS)
In a stunning action, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested almost 475 employees in a raid at Hyundai and LG Energy Solution's under-construction battery plant in Georgia. The $4.3 billion plant, which was billed as the state's largest industrial investment, was compelled to cease operation. Homeland Security officials termed it the largest single-site enforcement action in the agency's history.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed federal authorities directing construction to cease immediately, highlighting the magnitude of the crackdown. Authorities stated that those who were detained were prohibited from working in the US for overstaying visas or crossing the border illegally.
The raid sent Seoul into a worry, considering the majority of those detained are South Korean nationals. The foreign ministry of South Korea released a stinging statement, emphasizing that its citizens and businesses should not be unfairly targeted during US law enforcement operations. The battery factory, a joint operation between Hyundai Motor and LGES, was due to start operations later this year, producing batteries for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis electric vehicles.
The arrests could worsen US-South Korea trade relations, already tense following disagreements attributed to tariffs and investment deals. South Korea had committed $150 billion in US investment last month, of which $26 billion from Hyundai alone.
The raid underscores the disruptive impact of Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. As the White House touts foreign investment in US manufacturing, Trump's hardline immigration enforcement has undermined one of the largest projects fuelling job growth in Georgia directly.
Critics had said that most of the workers who were detained were not criminals but victims of systemic loopholes in immigration and labour legislation. Human rights groups criticized the raids as separations of families and destabilizations of businesses.
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The Georgia raid was timed with another ICE raid in upstate New York, where over 40 employees were arrested at a snack bar factory. Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the raids, calling federal agents out for ripping families apart.
Despite Hyundai stating that none of those detained were directly employed by the automaker, the fallout threatens to delay operations and strain investor confidence. For Georgia, once celebrating Hyundai’s $12.6 billion investment as a historic economic milestone, the raids cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a new era of industrial growth.
