In a sweeping operation that has ignited fierce debate, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained nearly 475 suspected undocumented workers at a Hyundai battery factory in Ellabell, Georgia, last Friday.
According to Breitbart, the raid, which has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic leaders and progressive groups, targeted a workforce including over 300 Korean nationals at a site being built for Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd., raising questions about labor practices and political motivations.
The operation took place at a sprawling construction site in Bryan County, where more than 1,400 individuals are currently employed. The factory, a joint project between two South Korean companies, has been under scrutiny following a tip from a local Republican, Tori Branum, who reported concerns to ICE. Branum provided contact details for individuals with evidence, alleging that some workers faced exploitative conditions and were brought to the U.S. unwillingly.
During the raid, ICE agents detained a significant portion of the workforce, with numbers reported at approximately 475 by most sources, though Rolling Stone cited 450 arrests per the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Among those held, more than 300 were Korean workers, many of whom are believed to have entered the U.S. on short-term B-1/B-2 tourist or business visas but were working in violation of those terms. Some detained individuals may have arrived through a policy under former President Joe Biden’s border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, allowing entry for migrants from specific countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Critics of the raid, including local Democrats, argue that the operation was not focused on dangerous individuals but rather on hardworking people contributing to the economy. “The Democratic Party of Georgia strongly condemns this week’s ICE raid at the Bryan County Hyundai plant and the increasingly aggressive presence of ICE in communities across our state,” said Charlie Bailey, a local spokesman for the party. “These raids are politically-motivated fear tactics designed to terrorize people who work hard for a living, power our economy, and contribute to the communities across Georgia that they have made their homes,” Bailey added.
“The Trump administration breaking its promise to target violent criminals and instead targeting hardworking people does nothing to make Georgia stronger — it is political grandstanding at the cost of Georgia families, businesses, and livelihoods,” Bailey continued.
Similarly, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) criticized the focus of the operation, stating, “Trump promised to go after the ‘worst of the worst.’ Yet his ICE is targeting everyday people, many of whom have legal status or are hardworking members of our communities.” Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) echoed this sentiment, saying, “This is no longer about dangerous criminals. This is about ripping communities & families apart.”
The raid’s repercussions extend beyond the factory walls, affecting local businesses reliant on the Hyundai workforce. Minh Nguyen, manager of a nearby Korean barbecue restaurant, expressed concern over the potential loss of customers, noting, “This is really going to affect us. Tonight, we’ll find out how bad this is going to be.” The restaurant frequently hosted large groups of Hyundai workers, including a party of over 30 just the weekend before the raid.
Hyundai has faced prior criticism for its hiring practices, often using staffing agencies to distance itself from direct responsibility for workers’ immigration status. According to immigration expert Jay Palmer, “Hyundai is a repeat offender. [Like other companies, including Mercedes, Kia, and Tesla, Hyundai executives use staffing companies to legally shield themselves as they fly airport migrants to job sites.]”
Palmer further explained, “They push the people [job applicants] to staffing agencies, and then they hire them from staffing agencies, and then they think they’re shielded by the law because they have a master service agreement that states [immigration status] is not their responsibility.”
The use of staffing firms to hire workers is a common practice in various industries, such as meat processing, where companies avoid direct accountability for immigration compliance. Breitbart News has highlighted a broader trend of using B-1/B-2 visas to bring workers from countries like India, Mexico, and parts of Europe into American sectors, including trucking and technology. This pattern aligns with a post-1990 economic strategy known as Extraction Migration, which focuses on importing low-cost labor to benefit corporate interests while impacting local wages.
The raid has also sparked diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and South Korea, especially following recent strained negotiations over tariffs and investments. In late August, President Donald Trump met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House, shortly after Trump hinted on social media at possibly halting business ties with South Korea. The meeting came after a preliminary agreement this summer for South Korea to invest heavily in U.S. business ventures, potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
On the local level, Tori Branum defended her decision to report the factory to ICE, stating, “So I wasn’t going to say anything about this, but let me make it clear. Yes, I did report the Hyundai plant to ICE, and yes, I did talk to an agent.” She added, “I also sent him contact info for people that had evidence… No criminal charges have been filed as of yet, and from what I understand, some were working in slave conditions that were brought here against their will, allegedly.” Branum emphasized her stance to Rolling Stone, saying, “How do I feel about it? Good. I have no feelings about the law. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong.”
Georgia’s progressive-run AFL-CIO condemned the raid’s impact on workers, stating, “Arresting and detaining workers, who are exploited every day and risk their lives every day on the job, creates an atmosphere of fear that terrorizes workers and their families and increases the workload burden on their coworkers.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress have bolstered ICE’s funding, hiring thousands of additional agents to expand operations like the one in Ellabell. Since Trump’s first election in 2016, efforts have been made to curb the influx of low-cost labor, aiming to improve wages and productivity for American workers.