Raid at Georgia Battery Site: What Happened and Why It Matters

A large-scale immigration enforcement action was carried out at an under-construction battery plant in Bryan County, Georgia, near Savannah. Homeland Security Investigations said 475 people were detained in the operation. The majority of those held were South Korean nationals, and many had been employed by a network of subcontractors at the site. HSI described the action as the agency’s largest single-site enforcement operation and said it followed a months-long investigation into alleged unlawful hiring.

The battery project is a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution and construction was paused while authorities worked. Hyundai said none of its direct employees were detained, while LG reported that 47 of those detained were its employees or subcontractors. South Korea expressed concern and dispatched diplomats to the area. Many detainees were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, where they entered removal or review proceedings. The raid has raised questions about how foreign investment and immigration enforcement interact, and it has prompted both companies to review hiring and contractor practices.