South Korea says 'many' of its nationals were detained in immigration raid on Hyundai facility in Georgia

South Korea said Friday that it had expressed “concern and regret” to the U.S. Embassy over an immigration raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia during which it said “many” South Korean nationals had been detained.

“The economic activities of our companies investing in the U.S. and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated,” said Lee Jae-woong, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of the key U.S. ally, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as Homeland Security Investigations and other federal agencies were involved in the operation on Thursday, which an ICE spokesperson said was conducted in connection with an investigation into “unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”

Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the alleged unlawful practices were taking place at the “multi-hundred acre” construction site where South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a new battery plant next to their manufacturing facility for electric vehicles.

The facility in the town of Ellabell, about 28 miles west of the city of Savannah, employs about 1,400 people. It is considered one of Georgia’s largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, according to The Associated Press.

NBC News verified a video posted on social media showing HSI agents inside the construction site at Hyundai’s facility in Ellabell. One of the agents can be heard telling workers they had a search warrant for the entire site and asked that construction “be ceased immediately.”

A worker who was there but whose name is being withheld told NBC News that agents came late Thursday morning and asked everyone on the premises whether they were U.S. citizens.

Other videos on social media show agents lining workers up. In some instances, agents can be seen asking workers questions and searching their bags.

In a statement to NBC News, Hyundai spokesperson Michael Stewart confirmed the presence of law enforcement at the LG Energy Solution and Hyundai battery joint venture construction site in Bryan County, where Ellabell is located.

“We are cooperating with law enforcement and are committed to abiding by all labor and immigration regulations,” Stewart said.

It remains unclear how many people have been taken into custody, but Schrank said, “We are making many arrests of undocumented individuals.”

NBC affiliate WSAV of Savannah reported that hundreds of undercover law enforcement vehicles and Humvees were reportedly seen at the scene. Large buses were also seen entering the site.

Mary Beth Kennedy, a spokesperson for HL-GA Battery Co., LG Energy Solution and Hyundai’s joint venture, told WSAV in a statement that the company “is cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities regarding activity at our construction site. To assist their work, we have paused construction. We do not have further details at this time.”

Schrank added that the investigation was expected to continue beyond Thursday but did not provide a timeline.

The ICE spokesperson added: “This investigation is focused on ensuring accountability for those who violate the law and upholding the rule of law. Complex cases like this require strong collaboration and extensive investigative efforts.”

South Korea, the world’s 10th-largest economy, is a major automotive and electronics manufacturer whose companies have multiple plants in the United States. In July, Seoul pledged $350 billion in U.S. investment in an effort to lower President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on its products, which he ended up setting at 15%.

In March, Hyundai said it would invest $21 billion in U.S. onshoring from 2025 to 2028, a number it said last month had increased to $26 billion.

It said the initiatives involved in the investment — including a new $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana, expanded U.S. auto production capacity and a state-of-the-art robotics facility — were expected to create about 25,000 new direct jobs in the U.S. over the next four years.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ice-hyundai-plant-georgia-enforcement-action-rcna229148

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5770034&forum_id=2...id#49238051)