475 Arrested in Immigration Raid at Hyundai Metaplant Supplier Site

An immigration enforcement action on September 4, 2025, at the construction site of HL-GA Battery Company, a key supplier for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Bryan County, Georgia, resulted in the arrest of 475 workers. The raid, described as the largest single-site enforcement operation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), underscores the complex labor dynamics involved in establishing highly engineered manufacturing facilities. As Rick Petree stated in a social media post, > "The Hyundai plant is under construction. It’s highly engineered, with proprietary robotics and other systems. They brought their own engineers and technicians for the install. At commissioning, most of those people would go home. We’re not talking about the plant’s work force." This highlights the distinction between the temporary installation workforce and the permanent operational staff.

The enforcement action was executed following months of investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices. While no criminal charges have been announced, the arrested workers, primarily Korean, were found to be illegally present in the United States or in violation of their status. Hyundai Motor Company confirmed the raid occurred at its supplier's site and stated that, based on current understanding, none of those detained were directly employed by Hyundai, emphasizing its commitment to compliance across its supply chain.

The HMGMA facility itself, which celebrated its grand opening in March 2025, represents a significant leap in automotive manufacturing, designed as a "Software Defined Factory" heavily reliant on AI and robotics. The plant integrates advanced automation, including automated guided vehicles, Boston Dynamics' Spot robots for quality inspection, and parking robots in the assembly shop. This technological sophistication, with automation nearly double that of Hyundai's existing facilities, aligns with the tweet's mention of "proprietary robotics and other systems" brought in by specialized engineers for installation.

Hyundai Motor Group has invested $12.6 billion in Georgia for the Metaplant and joint battery ventures, part of a larger $21 billion U.S. investment. The company projects the creation of 8,500 direct jobs at HMGMA by 2031, with a total of nearly 40,000 direct and indirect jobs across Georgia. The plant is designed to foster a human-centered work environment where robots assist human workers, highlighting a long-term operational workforce distinct from the temporary construction and installation teams.

The incident at the supplier's construction site highlights the challenges in balancing ambitious localization goals for EV manufacturing with the need for specialized international expertise during initial plant setup. While production at the main Metaplant has not been affected, the raid on the battery partner's site paused construction there. This event brings to light the intricate web of contractors and subcontractors involved in large-scale industrial projects and the scrutiny they face regarding labor compliance.