475 immigrants, mostly South Koreans, detained at Hyundai factory in Georgia

In a dramatic sweep at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, US authorities detained more than 475 undocumented workers — most of them South Korean nationals — casting a spotlight on the uneasy intersection of America’s manufacturing ambitions and its hardline immigration enforcement.

Federal, state, and local agents executed a search warrant at the site, identifying “hundreds of illegal workers,” according to a statement. US attorney Margaret Heap said the operation aimed to curb unlawful employment, prevent unfair advantages for employers, and shield unauthorized workers from exploitation.

Homeland Security Investigations official Steven Schrank said those arrested had either entered the country illegally or violated their visa terms.

The probe, underway for several months, focused on subcontractors, with detainees employed across multiple companies at the sprawling 3,000-acre site near Savannah, Georgia, NPR reported.

The raid underscores a clash between two of President Donald Trump’s priorities — boosting domestic manufacturing and tightening immigration enforcement—and could strain ties with South Korea, the BBC noted.

Seoul has expressed “concerns and regret” over the arrests. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a televised statement that “many of our nationals were detained” and urged Washington to safeguard their rights. “The economic activities of our companies investing in the US and the interests of our citizens must not be unduly violated,” Lee said, adding that South Korea raised the issue with the US embassy.

With IANS inputs