A South Korean employee has described scenes of fear and confusion during a massive US immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy car factory in Ellabell, Georgia, where nearly 500 workers were detained.
Speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, the worker said he first realised something was wrong when phone lines lit up with calls from company officials instructing staff to shut down operations.
Minutes later, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swept into the $7.6bn complex, detaining 475 people — including about 300 South Koreans — in what has become the largest single-site immigration enforcement operation in US history.
“They stormed in, and people panicked. Phones were left in the office, so families couldn’t reach them,” he said.
Some workers even tried to escape by leaping into a nearby sewage pond.
Others were handcuffed and separated according to nationality and visa status before being loaded onto buses.
According to ICE, all those detained were in the US illegally — some had overstayed visas, others had entered under visa waiver schemes or crossed the border unlawfully.
Officials said the raid, dubbed Operation Low Voltage, followed an investigation into employment practices at an electric vehicle battery plant under construction at the site.
The worker, who has legal status in the US, said most detainees were mechanics installing production lines for a subcontractor, while a smaller number had been sent from Seoul for training.
He suggested that many may have held visas that did not permit employment, adding: “Nearly all had some legal right to be in the US, but the wrong visa type or expired permits caused problems.”
Footage released by ICE showed armed agents arriving in armoured vehicles, halting construction, and lining up workers.
Some images depicted men chained together, while others showed detainees being pulled from a river.
Hyundai and LG Energy, in a joint statement, said they were cooperating with authorities and had paused construction, adding that none of the detained workers were directly employed by Hyundai Motor Company.
“We are committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations,” Hyundai said.
The raid has rattled Georgia’s Korean community. Ruby Gould (Cho Dahye), president of the Korean American Association of Greater Savannah, said the arrests shocked many and risked tarnishing the image of a flagship economic project.
“It’s very shocking to me and to the reputation of a global, well-known company,” she said.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has hailed the Hyundai-LG complex as the state’s largest economic development project, but some observers warn the crackdown could force foreign companies to rethink US investments.
“After this happened, many companies will think twice. Projects could take longer if they stick to the rules,” the worker said.
