On September 5, 2025, federal and state law enforcement carried out a large-scale enforcement operation at Hyundai Motor Group’s 3,000-acre electric vehicle and battery campus in Bryan County, Georgia, detaining 450 people and temporarily halting construction at the adjacent battery plant while vehicle production at the existing EV assembly facility continued.
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 450 people were detained during a coordinated enforcement action at the Hyundai mega site in Bryan County on September 5, 2025.
- Multiple agencies participated, including ATF, HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE and the Georgia State Patrol.
- The operation centered on the construction area for a joint HL-GA battery plant developed with LG Energy Solution; construction was paused.
- The EV assembly plant, a $7.6 billion facility that began production a year earlier and employs about 1,200, was not shut down, officials said.
- DHS said the action followed a search warrant tied to an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged unlawful employment practices and other federal offenses.
- South Korea’s Foreign Ministry dispatched consular staff and urged protection of Korean investors and workers during the operation.
Verified Facts
Federal authorities executing the operation included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the DEA and the Georgia State Patrol. Authorities said the action focused on the battery plant construction zone at the large Hyundai campus west of Savannah.
Officials publicly reported 450 people were taken into custody during the enforcement activity. The Department of Homeland Security said agents were executing a search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal probe into alleged unlawful employment practices and related federal crimes.
The Hyundai vehicle assembly site is a roughly 3,000-acre complex that began EV production about a year ago after an estimated $7.6 billion investment. The assembly plant employs about 1,200 people. Hyundai and the HL-GA joint venture with LG Energy Solution told investigators they are cooperating and paused battery-plant construction to allow authorities to work.
Context & Impact
The campus has been promoted as one of Georgia’s largest economic development projects and a major supplier to the EV supply chain. Pausing work on the battery facility could affect the local construction workforce and the project schedule; the battery plant had been scheduled to open next year.
Local law enforcement closed access roads to the site during the operation. Video shared on social media showed workers in safety vests being asked by an agent identifying as HSI to stop work while a search warrant was presented.
Broader immigration enforcement trends provide background to the operation. The Pew Research Center, using preliminary Census Bureau data, reported that the U.S. labor force lost more than 1.2 million immigrants from January through July 2025, a figure that includes both undocumented workers and legal residents.
Official Statements
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed agents executed a search warrant tied to an ongoing investigation into alleged unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said it would send consular staff to the site and urged that Korean investors and citizens not have their rights unfairly affected during U.S. law enforcement actions.
South Korean Foreign Ministry
Unconfirmed
- Specific immigration or criminal charges against the detained individuals have not been publicly released.
- Individual immigration statuses for those detained have not been independently verified beyond agency statements.
- Any long-term effects on the battery plant construction timeline beyond the immediate pause have not been confirmed.
Bottom Line
A coordinated multagency operation on September 5 led to the detention of 450 people at Hyundai’s large EV and battery campus in Bryan County. Authorities say the action is part of a criminal investigation and have temporarily paused battery construction while the vehicle assembly plant remains operational. The incident highlights potential risks to the local workforce and supply-chain timelines and may prompt further legal and diplomatic engagement.