HMGMA located in Ellabell, Savannah, Georgia, USA. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group. 

It has been identified that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), among others, conducted a large-scale immigration crackdown on April 4 (local time) at the construction site of Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution's joint battery plant (HL-GA Battery Company) located in Savannah, Georgia.

According to the 'Savannah Morning News' (SMN), a Georgia State Patrol official stated, "We assisted HSI in executing a criminal search warrant at the battery plant construction site of Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County."

Local media outlet WSAV also reported that approximately 450 people were arrested during the operation, which began this morning and involved hundreds of law enforcement vehicles.

According to a Korean consular official in the area, among those arrested on suspicion of "immigration violations" were over 30 employees from Korea on business trips (including employees from partner companies) and locally hired workers.

It is understood that those on business trips from Korea were mostly working locally on B1 visas for attending meetings or for contract purposes, or under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows visa-free entry.

They are also reported to have been targeted for engaging in "activities inconsistent with their period of stay."

Authorities, while identifying and arresting undocumented immigrants among the temporary workers employed by the companies responsible for the on-site construction, also apprehended Korean business travelers suspected of activities exceeding their permitted immigration status.

Many of those arrested were reportedly taken to an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, for further investigation.

The Korean Consulate General in Atlanta, which has jurisdiction over the area, is forming a legal team comprised of Korean-American lawyers. A representative from the Consulate General stated that the legal team is scheduled to visit the facilities where the Korean nationals are being held in the near future.

Mary Beth Kennedy, Senior Communications Specialist for HL-GA Battery Company, said in an official statement, "We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities regarding the activities at our construction site. We have temporarily suspended construction work to assist the authorities in their duties."

The U.S. Trump administration, which is pursuing a strong policy of immigration crackdowns and deportations, has been raiding factories and farms employing a large number of foreign workers, arresting individuals suspected of being undocumented, and transferring them to detention facilities.

Yonhap News Agency