SAVANNAH, Ga. – U.S. immigration authorities on Thursday executed a search warrant at the sprawling Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America site in southeast Georgia, specifically targeting the construction of an adjacent electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facility. The operation, which involved agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), temporarily halted all construction activities at the battery plant, a joint venture with LG Energy Solution.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement confirming the enforcement action, citing an "ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes." Details regarding potential detentions or arrests were not immediately released. Georgia State Patrol troopers were dispatched to block roads and assist federal authorities at the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) complex, which has been lauded by state officials as Georgia's largest economic development project.
Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs approximately 1,200 individuals, a year ago. The adjacent battery plant, a crucial component of Hyundai's North American EV supply chain, is slated to commence operations next year. HL-GA Battery Company, the joint venture, released a statement indicating full cooperation with authorities and confirming the pause in construction to facilitate the investigation.
Significantly, operations at Hyundai's main EV manufacturing plant were not impacted by the raid. Plant spokesperson Bianca Johnson confirmed that production and normal office hours had already begun for the day when authorities initiated the shutdown of access to the construction site.
This enforcement action echoes previous large-scale ICE operations, particularly during the Trump administration, which targeted various industries including manufacturing and construction. The incident underscores the heightened scrutiny on labor practices within major industrial projects, especially those benefiting from significant public investment and critical to national economic strategies like EV production. The disruption, even if temporary, could raise questions about labor sourcing and compliance standards for large-scale infrastructure developments in the rapidly expanding clean energy sector.