(The Hill) — Federal immigration authorities raided a Hyundai electric vehicle (EV) plant in Georgia on Thursday, arresting more than 400 “unlawful aliens” as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Officials announced at a press conference Friday morning that the official number of people apprehended in Thursday’s sting operation at the plant was 475, Nexstar’s WSAV reported. A majority of those detained are Korean nationals.
That number is up from 450, which the Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had announced in a Thursday evening post on social platform X.
“Today, @ATFAtlanta joined [Homeland Security Investigations], FBI, [Drug Enforcement Agency], [Immigrations and Customs Enforcement], [Georgia State Patrol] and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety,” ATF posted Thursday.
The plant, which started pumping out EVs last year, employs around 1,200 workers.
South Korea, which founded the company, expressed “concern and regret” over the raids that targeted Hyundai.
“The economic activities of our companies investing in the U.S. and the rights and interests of our nationals must not be unfairly violated,” South Korea’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a press briefing, according to Yonhap news agency.
“We conveyed our concern and regret through the U.S. Embassy in Seoul today,” Lee added.
Seoul sent embassy and consular officers from Washington, D.C., and Atlanta to the plant, according to the foreign ministry.
The raid of the factory is part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping mass deportation effort. So far, immigration enforcement agents have raided restaurants, auto shops, construction sites and farms.
Alleged unlawful practices were taking place at the site located in Ellabell, Ga., according to Steven Schrank, the special agent in charge of HSI in Georgia.
“We have executed it exceptionally, safely thus far and we look to wrap it up in the near future,” Schrank told reporters Thursday evening.
Ellabell is located about 27 miles west of Savannah, Ga.
Hyundai spokesperson Michael Stewart, in a statement to NBC News, said, “We are cooperating with law enforcement and are committed to abiding by all labor and immigration regulations.”
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