Workers assemble the IONIQ 5 at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia, ahead of its official completion ceremony on March 26 (local time). (Image provided by Hyundai Motor)
SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — A large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group–LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia has sent shockwaves through Korean companies operating in the United States, raising fears of heightened regulatory risks under the Trump administration.
According to foreign media and industry officials, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) detained about 450 people during a crackdown at the HL-GA joint venture site in Savannah.
Among those taken into custody were more than 30 employees dispatched from Korea, including subcontractor staff, who reportedly entered the country on short-term visa waivers under ESTA rather than business visas.
LG Energy Solution said it was “working closely with the Korean government and relevant authorities to ensure the safety and swift release of employees and partners,” adding that it had mobilized interpreters and legal counsel. Hyundai, caught off guard by the sweep, has yet to issue a formal statement.
The incident comes at a sensitive time. Hyundai has pledged $26 billion in U.S. investment over four years — an expansion of a $21 billion plan announced in March — and won rare public praise from President Donald Trump, who called it a “great company.”
Yet the raid underscores the precarious balance Korean firms face: encouraged to expand in America while navigating intensifying immigration enforcement and trade uncertainty.
Industry officials warn that the arrests could disrupt Hyundai’s broader U.S. projects, including a 30,000-unit robotics plant, a $2.7 million-ton electric steel mill in Louisiana, and the expansion of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America’s output from 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles.
Other Korean firms, from chipmakers to auto suppliers, are watching nervously, mindful that immigration issues could add to existing concerns over tariffs and supply-chain restructuring.
Some companies have already tightened compliance. Samsung Electronics recently reminded employees that U.S. business trips under ESTA should not exceed two weeks, citing frequent entry denials. Still, executives say the environment is growing more fraught. “We’re being told to invest in America,” one corporate official said, “but if this is how it goes, how can we?”
The episode highlights the broader unease facing Korean investors in the United States: a shifting landscape of tariffs, uncertain trade rules, and now, aggressive immigration enforcement.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
