Massive immigration raid at Hyundai megaplant in Georgia leads to 475 arrests. The majority are Korean [View all]

Source: CNN US

Updated Sep 5, 2025, 12:55 PM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 5, 2025, 5:43 AM ET


Hundreds of federal officers descended on a small southeast Georgia community and raided the Hyundai Metaplant – arresting 475 people in one of the largest sweeps yet in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown at workplaces across the US.

The majority are Korean nationals, said Steven Schrank, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge. The raid marks the largest single-site enforcement operation in HSI history, he said, though a host of other federal agencies were also involved.

Previously, federal officials estimated 450 people were apprehended Thursday at the massive site in Ellabell, about 25 miles west of Savannah, Georgia.

All 475 people taken into custody were illegally present in the US, Schrank said. Some crossed into the US illegally, some had visa waivers and were prohibited from working, and some had overstayed their visas, he said. Schrank said he did not have a breakdown of the arrestees’ nationalities.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/05/us/georgia-plant-ice-raid-hundreds-arrested-hnk