The U.S. government conducted a large-scale raid on HL-GA Battery Company, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution, which is currently under construction.
According to foreign media on the 5th, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raided HL-GA Battery Company in Georgia. ICE stated the raid was due to “illegal employment practices and serious federal crimes.”
Local media outlet WSAV reported that U.S. immigration authorities arrested approximately 450 individuals using hundreds of vehicles at the Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution joint factory. More than 40 Korean workers were among those detained. It was revealed that the arrested individuals, who had traveled to Korea on business trips, obtained Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) or business visas (B1) for purposes such as attending meetings or signing contracts but were working locally.
Photos of U.S. authorities searching workers were shared on social media (SNS) on the same day.
A source from HL-GA Battery Company stated, “Construction has been temporarily halted to assist the authorities’ investigation, and we plan to fully cooperate.”
The factory, where Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution began investing approximately 10 trillion Korean won in the second half of 2023, aimed to produce 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery cells annually with production targeted for 2025. However, its completion has been slightly delayed. Battery cells produced at this facility are scheduled to be assembled into battery packs by Hyundai MOBIS and supplied to vehicles manufactured at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), the group’s first dedicated electric vehicle factory in the vicinity.