(NEWNAN, GEORGIA) Hyundai Motor’s top executive is pressing for targeted visa reform after an ICE raid at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant site stopped work and led to hundreds of detentions, exposing a fault line between worksite enforcement and the need for specialized workers on major projects.
On September 4, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained about 475 workers, including roughly 370 foreign nationals on B visitor visas who were working illegally at the Newnan construction site, according to company and industry briefings on the incident.
Project disruption and enforcement focus
The ICE raid disrupted a high-profile facility that Hyundai and LG Energy Solution are building to support the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain. The companies had been counting on steady progress to meet tight production timelines, and the sudden loss of labor has added delays and costs, people involved in the project say.
The enforcement focus on the misuse of B visitor visas—meant for short business trips, not hands-on employment—has become a clear federal priority, officials and compliance advisors note. The action highlights the tension between strict visa categories and the reality that complex industrial projects often need temporary, skilled hands on site.
CEO response and international context
Hyundai Motor’s CEO, José Muñoz, said he remains hopeful the United States 🇺🇸 and South Korea 🇰🇷 can agree on a practical fix that allows skilled foreign staff to travel temporarily and work in well-defined roles without weeks or months of red tape.
He argued that a narrow visa pathway for foreign experts—engineers, technicians, and commissioning teams—would help avoid future shutdowns like the one triggered by the ICE raid at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution site. He also contrasted the current U.S. framework with more flexible systems in countries such as Canada and Singapore, where short-term technical work is easier to arrange.
Analysis: manufacturers caught between rules and needs
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the case underscores how global manufacturers are caught between strict rules on visitor travel and the real-world needs of complex projects.
Companies often need short bursts of expert labor from abroad to:
- install equipment
- train teams
- certify production lines
When those needs clash with narrow visa categories, the risk of noncompliance rises—bringing legal exposure, schedule slips, and community fallout.
Policy and industry fallout
The raid has strained ties with South Korea, a close security and trade partner, and raised questions for investors about project stability in the United States.
Seoul has proposed a joint committee with Washington to craft a specialized visa track for skilled Korean professionals. The idea is to prevent repeat disruptions at high-tech plants, where timing is critical and delays ripple down supply chains.
Korean tech firms, which have poured billions into U.S. clean energy and semiconductor sites, want clearer rules that still align with U.S. law.
Industry voices and several policy specialists are urging Congress and the administration to widen lawful work channels rather than lean mainly on enforcement. They warn that an enforcement-first approach can backfire by:
- pushing work underground
- sapping confidence
- complicating state-level efforts to attract new plants
The Hyundai-LG Energy Solution project became a case study: rapid growth outpaced compliance controls, and the cost of getting it wrong was immediate.
Local project effects
Hyundai has not detailed the full extent of the schedule impact, but contractors say the loss of hundreds of workers in one day forced a reset.
In Newnan, local suppliers expected steady orders tied to the build-out. Instead, they watched as access points tightened and tasks halted pending worker checks.
Project managers scrambled to review every badge, subcontract, and work scope to ensure no one with a B visitor visa performed hands-on labor.
Compliance pressures and worker impact
The raid also put a human face on worksite enforcement. Many detained workers were far from home and unsure of what would happen next. Advocates say these cases highlight how visa confusion can trap people who thought they were on safe ground.
- B visitor visas allow meetings, training, or observing operations but not day-to-day work on a construction site.
- When lines blur, workers pay a steep price.
Companies across the sector are now re-checking their travel and staffing plans. Practical steps include:
- Tightening vendor onboarding and verification processes.
- Setting bright-line rules for what a visitor can and cannot do on site.
- Tracking visa status changes before anyone sets foot on a job site.
- Standing up internal compliance teams empowered to stop work if they spot a risk.
- Requiring general contractors to certify that all field staff hold proper work authorization before entering secured areas.
Hyundai’s push for visa reform arrives as U.S. officials juggle competing goals: protect the labor market, enforce the law, and keep big industrial projects on schedule. In clean energy and batteries, every delay can slow product launches and weaken domestic supply chains that the government has worked to build.
Policymakers weighing a targeted visa pathway would need to define:
- tight eligibility criteria
- clear employer duties
- fast processing to prevent misuse
All while preserving worksite integrity.
Potential diplomatic template and current status
South Korea’s proposed joint committee could serve as a template for other allies. If Washington and Seoul agree on a narrow, skills-based visa category, it might guide talks with partners facing similar hurdles in chipmaking, autos, and grid technology.
But as of October 28, 2025, there is no announced policy change, timeline, or pilot program. Both sides remain in talks, and companies are watching closely.
Coordination, community impact, and next steps
Local leaders in Georgia say federal and state teams must communicate better when large foreign investment projects move from permitting to construction. One point of tension is the handoff between economic development agencies that court investment and federal authorities charged with enforcing immigration law.
Better coordination, they argue, could prevent the type of large-scale disruption seen at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution site.
For workers, the path forward will depend on case-by-case reviews by federal authorities. Advocates urge anyone questioned during the operation to seek legal advice.
For the broader business community, the message is clear:
- B visitor visas are not a workaround for labor shortages.
- Employers need to match duties to lawful categories and build internal checks that catch mistakes early.
The Department of Homeland Security has reminded the public that worksite enforcement is an ongoing priority. Employers can find official guidance and news updates on the Department of Homeland Security website.
Company counsel say the Newnan case will likely become training material for compliance teams, given the scale of the action and the number of contractors involved.
Closing perspective
Hyundai’s José Muñoz remains focused on preventing a repeat. He’s pressing for a specialized, lawful channel that allows foreign experts to help launch U.S. plants without long delays or legal risk.
Supporters say a narrow fix—limited in scope, time, and purpose—could keep projects moving while respecting workplace rules. Critics warn that any new track must include strong guardrails and clear penalties for abuse.
For now, the ICE raid at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution site stands as a warning to both employers and workers. The stakes are high: jobs, supply chains, and the promise of new investment in communities like Newnan. Until a new visa reform plan emerges, companies will need to rely on tighter compliance, clearer roles, and careful planning to keep projects on track.
This Article in a Nutshell
On September 4, 2025, ICE detained about 475 workers at Hyundai-LG Energy Solution’s Newnan battery plant, including roughly 370 foreign nationals holding B visitor visas who were reportedly performing hands-on work. The raid halted construction, adding delays and costs to a crucial EV supply-chain project. Hyundai CEO José Muñoz urged targeted visa reform to permit short-term skilled professionals—engineers, technicians, commissioning teams—to work under a narrow, fast-track authorization. South Korea proposed a joint Washington-Seoul committee to design such a pathway, but as of October 28, 2025, no policy changes or pilots are in place. Industry and policy experts recommend tighter compliance, better vendor verification, and clearer employer responsibilities to prevent similar disruptions while balancing enforcement and operational needs.
