Actions Oppose Massive ICE Raid Against Hundreds of Workers at Georgia Hyundai Plant
Protest against ICE raid,
outside Hyundai battery plant, in Ellabell, Georgia, about 42
kilometres west of Savannah, September 6, 2025.
Demonstrations were quickly organized to denounce the massive raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at Hyundai's plant in Ellabell, Georgia on September 4. People denounced the raids and demonstrated at the plant, while others across the country provided financial and other support.
At
the plant protesters rejected these policing actions at home and
called
for U.S. troops to get out of Korea. They also opposed efforts
to
divide workers. As one speaker brought out, "It is us, the
workers of
this country, who will resist this cruel, racist system."
More than 475 workers were shackled and detained in what ICE called "the largest-ever single-site raid." About 300 of the workers were Koreans, many engineers, and highly skilled workers with green cards.
The south Korean government called the detentions unjust. President Lee Jae Myung said, "I hope that there will never again be an unjust infringement upon the activities of our people and companies in pursuit of the shared development of south Korea and the United States." Arrangements have been made by the south Korean government for the Korean workers to be flown home.
People are remaining vigilant and organizing to defend these workers, including the 175 still being detained by ICE. Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, for example, denounced the raid and provided means to support the workers. They also bring out that the U.S. still occupies Korea and keeps the country divided. Actions were organized in August against the U.S. war games in the region. Protesters are making clear that opposing these war games and the ICE raids contributes to defending workers in both countries.
Nodutdol and others have also brought out that the ICE raid came on the heels of South Korea pledging hundreds of billions in investments in the U.S., including a $26 billion commitment from Hyundai. It remains unclear if these will be withdrawn given the open slap in the face the detentions represent.
On Instagram, Nodutdol said, "South Korea has pledged $350 billion in state-backed investments and $150 billion in private sector investments for U.S. industry. Touted by Georgia lawmakers as the largest economic development project in the state's history, the $7.6 billion Hyundai plant predates the Trump-Lee summit -- and is the exact kind of large-scale manufacturing investments that Trump has demanded of south Korea and other dependent nations."
The Hyundai plant is under construction and will build electric vehicle (EV) batteries. In the U.S., Hyundai is the main competitor for Elon Musk's Tesla EVs. Not a few wonder if the disruption to construction caused by the detentions is for Musk's benefit.
The anarchy and incoherence of actions by ICE and Trump are such that they do not hesitate to slap south Korea in the face with these unjust detentions, while still demanding $500 billion in investments.
Workers at the plant and in both countries continue to organize
against U.S. raids, detentions, and war games.
This article was published in
Volume 55
Number 36 - September 11, 2025
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/Articles/TS55365.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca