Hyundai CEO Responds After Historic ICE Raid at Georgia Battery Plant
When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security carried out its largest-ever single-site enforcement operation at the Hyundai–LG Battery Plant in Georgia earlier this month, Hyundai’s CEO José Muñoz was caught off guard—he says he first learned about it on the news.
“I could not believe what I saw because normally I would’ve known before it hit the media,” Muñoz told CNN during a media roundtable on Thursday.
The EV battery facility in Ellabell, Georgia, is operated by Hyundai’s South Korean partner, LG Energy Solution, which may explain why Muñoz wasn’t notified immediately. On September 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 300 South Korean workers at the plant. They were deported back to South Korea last week. Muñoz confirmed he has been in communication with the Trump administration following the raid.
“I think both governments—South Korea and the U.S.—are actively working to make sure situations like this don’t happen again,” he said.
Hyundai Expresses Empathy for Detained Workers
Earlier on Thursday, Muñoz opened Hyundai’s first-ever U.S. investor conference in New York by addressing the issue directly.
“I want to express our sincere empathy for the workers from our supplier partner companies who were detained. We understand the stress and hardship this has caused for them and their families,” Muñoz told investors.
Hyundai has invested billions of dollars into the United States, with the Ellabell EV battery plant being part of the largest economic development project in Georgia’s history.
Although Muñoz previously confirmed the raid would delay the opening of the plant by two to three months, the company remains committed to its U.S. plans. On Thursday, Hyundai reaffirmed a $2.7 billion second-phase investment in the Georgia complex, which will create 3,000 new jobs.
Labor Shortages and Calls for Specialized Visas
The deported workers were highly skilled specialists essential to the joint venture’s operations. To cover the labor gap, Hyundai has had to relocate workers from other plants.
“These activities in the battery factory require very specific expertise that is not available in the U.S.,” Muñoz explained.
He emphasized the need for a special visa program to accommodate foreign specialists who may need to travel in and out of the U.S. multiple times during construction and setup.
“Countries like Canada, Mexico, Singapore, and Chile already have such visa agreements with the U.S., but South Korea does not,” Muñoz said. “I believe there needs to be a visa designed for these workers who may need to come in five, six, or even seven times. Once the factory is finished, they don’t come back.”
Concerns About Future Raids
When asked if he was worried about another raid happening, Muñoz was cautious:
“Nobody can say they are exempt from everything.”