FROM CBS NEWS: U.S. immigration authorities on Thursday raided the sprawling site where Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles in southeast Georgia, conducting a search that shut down construction on an adjacent factory being built to produce EV batteries.
In a post on X, the Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it “joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of 450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety.”
The operation targeted one of Georgia’s largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, touted by the governor and other officials as the biggest economic development project in the state’s history. Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people.
In a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security, a search warrant was executed at the 3,000-acre site west of Savannah “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
The South Korean Foreign Ministry also issued a statement. They said, “The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations.
“We are actively responding to this incident by dispatching the Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and instructing the formation of an on-site response team centered around the local embassy.
“In Seoul, we also conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the U.S. Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon.”
Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6
— ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) September 4, 2025
Tom Homan: “We are prioritizing public safety threats and national security threats, but if you are in the country illegally, you are not off the table. If we find you, you are leaving.”🔥 pic.twitter.com/wL8UcpccKJ
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) September 3, 2025
READ MORE AT CBS NEWS
