{"id":32213,"date":"2025-09-08T20:42:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T03:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/after-475-arrests-at-georgia-jobsite-feds-vow-more-raids\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T20:42:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T03:42:39","slug":"after-475-arrests-at-georgia-jobsite-feds-vow-more-raids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/after-475-arrests-at-georgia-jobsite-feds-vow-more-raids\/","title":{"rendered":"After 475 arrests at Georgia jobsite, feds vow more raids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?500116090725\" alt=\"-\"><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1757362624\/news\/text_to_speech\/georgia-hyundai-jobsite-raid-ice-construction_z5dtkm.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Brief:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>In one of the highest profile immigration raids of President Donald Trump\u2019s second term, hundreds of federal agents <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdga\/pr\/operation-low-voltage-homeland-security-investigations-executes-federal-search-warrant\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>arrested 475 workers<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> at a construction site in Georgia, the Department of Justice announced Sept. 5.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Meanwhile, White House border czar Tom Homan told CNN\u2019s State of the Union Sunday the administration will continue to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/09\/07\/politics\/video\/border-czar-homan-trump-administration-will-take-action-in-sanctuary-cities-this-week\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>ramp up raids on U.S. workplaces<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Ellabell, Georgia, facility is the future home of a $4.3 billion electric vehicle battery facility co-owned by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. The vast majority of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/07\/us\/politics\/hyundai-plant-immigration-raid-georgia.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>arrested workers were South Korean<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, The New York Times reported.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Insight:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The effort to find and deport immigrants present in the U.S. illegally has been a priority for the Trump administration. Once Immigration and Customs Enforcement was able to mobilize, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/ice-raids-uncertainty-labor-impact\/756263\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>jobsite raids began<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It\u2019s no secret construction employs many foreign-born workers, though it\u2019s hard to know how many for certain. Some estimates place the total <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/construction-workers-undocumented-presidential-election\/729556\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>share of undocumented construction workers<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> at about 23%.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As a result, the industry is <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/immigration-crackdowns-construction-labor-woes\/759160\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>feeling the impact of those ICE raids<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>. Immigration enforcement has affected about one in three construction firms, according to a survey released Aug. 28 by the Associated General Contractors of America and the National Center for Construction Education and Research.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>And contractors are desperate for labor; roughly nine in ten firms report having openings for craft construction workers. The lack of skilled workforce has been the largest cause of project delays, per the AGC survey.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Hyundai and LG invested $4.3 billion to establish the HL-GA Battery Company plant, with plans to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/hlgabattery.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>begin production of EV batteries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> in early 2026, per the project website. Both of the owner firms are based in South Korea.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyundainews.com\/en-us\/releases\/4546\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>No Hyundai employees were arrested<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, the company said in a statement, and 47 LG employees were detained, according to The New York Times. Most of those arrested were employed by subcontractors.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In its statement, Hyundai said it had \u201czero tolerance\u201d for those who do not follow the law and would expect the same of project partners.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe are reviewing our processes to ensure that all parties working on our projects maintain the same high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves. This includes thorough vetting of employment practices by contractors and subcontractors,\u201d the statement said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>LG did not respond to Construction Dive\u2019s request for comment by the time of publication.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Negotiations to <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/south-korea-fly-detained-workers-back-us-vows-more-raids-employers-2025-09-07\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>return workers to South Korea<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> moved quickly, Reuters reported. Three hundred detained workers will be processed, released and returned via a chartered plane, the country\u2019s presidential office said on Sunday.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The megaproject is one example of an onshoring push to benefit investments by foreign companies on U.S. soil. But Homan promised similar enforcement action would continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cNo one hires an illegal alien out of the goodness of their heart,\u201d Homan said on CNN\u2019s State of the Union. \u201cThey hire them because they can work them harder, pay them less, undercut the competition that hires U.S. citizen employees. They drive wages down.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On Sunday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to call on <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115165715028507857\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>foreign companies to continue to plan projects<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> in the U.S., but to do so within the law.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cYour Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cWhat we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/georgia-hyundai-jobsite-raid-ice-construction\/759550\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. 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