As U.S. immigration authorities carry out a major crackdown on undocumented immigrants at the construction site of a joint battery factory being built by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia, it has been revealed that the initial target of the search was not South Koreans.
It is reported that the tip about 'foreigners working illegally' at this construction site came from a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
◇The scale of the crackdown is larger than the arrest of 300 suspected undocumented immigrants at a California marijuana farm
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the immigration crackdown on the battery factory construction site at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) campus in Savannah, Georgia, on the 4th (local time) and briefed the results on the 5th.
According to the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, 475 people were arrested, and many of them are South Korean nationals. While the specific number was not disclosed, it is reported that about 300 of the arrested individuals are of South Korean nationality.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations stated that this is 'the largest scale crackdown conducted at a single site.' It surpasses the scale of the immigration authorities' raid last July at a marijuana farm in California, where more than 300 undocumented immigrants were arrested.
Steven Schrank, a special investigator for HSI responsible for Georgia and Alabama, noted that he had spent months collecting evidence to obtain a search warrant from the court. He explained that among the arrested 475 individuals, 'some had illegally crossed the U.S. border,' while 'some had entered through the visa waiver program but were prohibited from working, and some had valid visas but were over their allowed stay.'
'Those who crossed the U.S. border illegally' seem to refer to workers who entered the country illegally from Central and South America. The arrested South Koreans are assumed to have entered the U.S. on B1 visas for business meetings or without a visa for tourism purposes. It is prohibited to work if one enters the U.S. on a B1 visa or without a visa.
The U.S. authorities stated that the companies employing the arrested South Koreans included not only the primary contractor but also subcontractors and their subcontractors.
◇Names and photos of 4 presumed individuals from Central and South America on the search warrant
According to local Georgia media WSAV, which obtained the search warrant from the immigration authorities, the target of the warrant is the lithium battery cell manufacturing plant within the Hyundai Metaplant.
The authorities listed four individuals they are seeking: Andreina Fuentes-Tovar, Kevin Zavaleta-Ramirez, David Zavaleta-Ramirez, and Julio Gonzalez Alvarado. Photos of these individuals were also attached, indicating they are of Hispanic descent. The warrant does not specify the reasons for seeking these four individuals. However, it is known that during the actual search process, U.S. immigration officials set up booths to check the residency status of individuals one by one.
According to the music, pop culture, and political media 'Rolling Stone' and the local Korean media 'Atlanta K', the person who reported that undocumented immigrants were working at the Hyundai Metaplant is Tori Branum. Branum is a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump and has previously run as a primary candidate for the federal House of Representatives in Georgia's 12th congressional district. He is also a firearms training instructor and a former U.S. Marine.
Branum stated on his Facebook, 'I reported it directly to the immigration and customs agency months ago and also spoke with an agent.' She said that upon hearing rumors of undocumented immigrants working at the construction site, she met with workers affiliated with a Spanish-speaking labor union to confirm the facts. According to Rolling Stone, three workers have died at this construction site. Branum expressed that she is 'happy' about the large-scale crackdown.
◇The legal work visa 'H-1B' is limited to 85,000 annually, with big tech companies hiring the majority
It has been pointed out that the South Koreans dispatched illegally to the site were due to a lack of sufficient work visa issuance by the U.S.
To work legally in the U.S., one must obtain an 'H-1B' visa for professional jobs, but only 85,000 people can receive this visa annually. In the fiscal year 2025, 479,953 individuals applied for H-1B visas. Afterward, the visas are issued by random lottery. Big tech companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Google hire thousands of highly skilled IT workers holding this visa. Korean corporations face procedural difficulties in hiring needed South Korean personnel locally.
On the 5th, during a press Q&A at the White House, President Trump addressed the concern that 'the policy goals of immigration crackdown and revitalizing manufacturing are in conflict' and stated, 'We want to get along with other countries and need a wonderful and stable workforce.'
He added, 'There were many undocumented immigrants working there,' and mentioned, 'They (the immigration authorities) are doing their job. They did what they had to do.' However, he noted, 'I only learned about that incident just before the press conference of the immigration authorities,' saying he had no knowledge of it.
Hyundai Motor's U.S. subsidiary issued a statement, saying, 'We are doing our utmost to thoroughly comply with laws and regulations in all markets where we operate, including employment verification requirements and immigration laws.' They added they are rigorously reviewing the employment practices of both contractors and subcontractors. It is known that none of the employees directly hired by Hyundai Motor were among those arrested.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dispatched the Consul General of the Korean Embassy in the U.S. and the consul from the Korean Consulate General in Atlanta to the scene and has formed a task force centered around the local diplomatic office. The ministry stated, 'While we acknowledge the necessity of enforcement actions, we strongly requested the U.S. side to ensure that there are no unjust disadvantages for our nationals.'