Hundreds of South Korean nationals detained in largest single-site immigration raid

Federal and immigration agents arrested 475 people while executing a judicial search warrant at a Hyundai facility in Georgia as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices

Federal and immigration agents arrested 475 people while executing a judicial search warrant at a Hyundai facility in Georgia as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices.

Everyone arrested, most of them South Korean nationals, were "illegally present in the United States or in violation of their presence in the United States, working unlawfully," Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia, said at a news conference Friday morning.

It was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations, Schrank said, adding it “underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans."

A sea of agents from HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies showed up Thursday to a construction site in the town of Ellabell, where the South Korean companies Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are jointly building a battery plant next to their manufacturing facility for electric vehicles.

Videos on social media showed agents lining up hundreds of workers at the construction site. Schrank said they questioned everyone about their immigration status, reviewing their documents and conducting background checks.