475 Arrested in ICE Raid at Hyundai Facility in Georgia
A Hyundai battery plant in Georgia has become the latest target of a multi-agency federal immigration raid.
Federal agencies were involved in the operation that resulted in the arrests of hundreds of illegal immigrants at the facility in Bryan County, east of Atlanta.
"Law enforcement identified over 475 people who were unlawfully working at the location," the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia said in a statement on Friday.
Several people attempted to flee the location as the criminal search warrant was being executed, according to authorities. A handful of people ran into a sewage pond, but federal agents used a boat to fish them out of the water. One of the individuals swam under the boat and tried unsuccessfully to flip it over, law enforcement said.
The raid marked the largest single-site enforcement operation in HSI history, Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of HSI for Georgia, said during a briefing on Friday.
"We are sending a clear and unequivocal message that those who exploit our workforce, undermine our economy, and violate federal laws will be held accountable," Schrank added.
DHS has maintained that the operation was "judicially authorized" and the department is conducting an investigation into unlawful employment practices at the factory.
Hyundai is South Korea's biggest automaker. The government's foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong said the detained workers were part of a “network of subcontractors," and the employees worked for a variety of different companies on the site. He also confirmed many of those detained were South Korean nationals and expressed concern that the production was halted on Thursday.
"The economic activities of our companies investing in the United States and the interests of our citizens must not be unduly violated during the course of U.S. law enforcement," Jaewoong said in a statement on Friday.
Thursday’s raid targeted one of the state's most high-profile manufacturing sites, which was touted by Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials as the largest economic development project in the state’s history. According to Hyundai, it represents a $12.6 billion investment in the state.
A spokesperson at the Hyundai battery company said in a statement that it is fully cooperating with federal authorities.
“Our top priority is always ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees and partners. We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities,” the company said.
Thursday's operation is part of the Trump administration's sweeping nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. Opponents of President Donald Trump's policies have argued that the raids are unconstitutional, and many are being detained without due process.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.