Construction at HL-GA Battery Company remains paused over a week after ICE raid

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Construction on the HL-GA Battery Company site remains suspended following last Thursday’s immigration raid.

Construction on the site was suspended after ICE arrested 475 people on the site, all of whom the agency says were undocumented or working on improper documentation.

A spokesperson for LG Energy Solutions, which owns HL-GA jointly with Hyundai, says the company is “preparing to resume operation,” and they’re aiming to start production in the first half of 2026. We asked the spokesperson to clarify whether “preparing to resume operation” meant construction would resume, but they declined.

Of the 475 people arrested, around 300 of them were South Korean nationals that have now returned to their home country. WTOC interviewed an immigration attorney who explained many of them were working on the site to provide proprietary expertise, needed to get the battery plant up and running.

Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz echoed those sentiments at an automotive conference on Thursday, saying the battery company needs people with specialized skillsets for construction. He added production will be delayed by several months following the ICE raid.

The South Korean nationals detained were originally slated to leave the United States on Wednesday, but their departure was delayed. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in a Thursday news conference that President Donald Trump gave the detainees the choice to stay in the United States, but all of them but one opted to go back to South Korea. President Lee added that Korean companies may rethink investment in the United States until its visa system is reworked.

A spokesperson for LG Energy Solutions added the company is still committed to its projects in the United States “and will continue to navigate the circumstances with the aim to continue necessary investments and business.” The spokesperson added the company will continue to cooperate with both the United States and South Korean governments on the visa process.

The HL-GA Battery company construction site has been plagued with issues even prior to the immigration raid. Two construction workers have died on the site this year. Several subcontractors that are currently under investigation by OSHA for worker deaths were also named in the search warrant that allowed federal agents to raid the site.

As the 300 South Korean workers have returned home, WTOC asked ICE for an update on the detainees: how many people were still detained and if any deportations have taken place. An ICE spokesperson said there is no update at this time.