On Tuesday, September 12, about 500 workers were detained in a sizeable immigration raid by U.S. federal authorities at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution construction site of a battery plant in Georgia. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that 475 were detained in what is now one of the largest workplace enforcement actions in U.S. history. Most of those detained are expected to be South Korean nationals that were employed as subcontractors, and no criminal charges have yet been filed in the case.
Construction on the $4.3 billion battery plant came to a stop immediately after Tuesday’s raid, which is a significant piece of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution’s move into the U.S. electric vehicle market. Construction was halted, but the first EV assembly plant, which is located just down the road from the construction site of the battery plant, remains in operation.
The South Korean government has responded with vigour, dispatching diplomatic officials to assist its citizens and forming a task force to ensure their support. Seoul officials said the number of detainees is significant, and they urged Washington to protect their rights.
The large operation is notable because of the potential implications for US-South Korean industrial relations, especially since South Korean firms have increased their investment commitments in the United States. Hyundai, LG, Samsung, and SK have collectively invested in excess of billions of dollars in the United States over the last year in sectors such as chips, batteries, and shipbuilding, and analysts fear that the raid at this time will undermine investor confidence and discourage expansion.
U.S. officials have defended the operation, asserting that it was part of a larger re-engagement of immigration and employment law enforcement and to protect opportunities for legal American workers. The immigration raid, which was planned and carried out by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance and support of numerous other government agencies, demonstrates the breadth and seriousness of the administration’s strategy for pursuing undocumented labourers in key industries.
Presently, investigations are ongoing, but many questions remain about the immediate future of the Georgia project, the status of the detained workers, and the precariousness of the cohesive space occupied by U.S.-South Korean economic interests. Most importantly, the raid highlighted the fragility of the relationship between comprehensive immigration enforcement, welcoming foreign investment, and US employment policy.