Overview

• Homeland Security Investigations led a court-authorized, multiagency operation at the Ellabell complex that ordered construction to stop at the Hyundai–LG battery site.
• Officials said approximately 450–475 people were detained, with HSI indicating many were South Korean nationals and some holding visas that do not authorize work.
• Most detainees were transferred to ICE’s Folkston facility, where South Korea and Mexico deployed consular staff to assist and to verify nationalities.
• Hyundai and the HL-GA Battery Company said they paused construction to cooperate with authorities, and Hyundai reported vehicle manufacturing nearby continued; the company said it understands none of the detainees are its direct employees.
• Authorities described the action as a months-long criminal investigation into alleged illegal labor practices, reported no federal criminal charges to date, and HSI called it its largest single-site workplace operation.