Nice EV Battery Factory You Got There …

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US President Donald Trump has established a knack for killing off manufacturing jobs here in the US, and his latest misadventure isn’t helping. On September 4, Trump ordered up a massive immigration raid on a construction site in Georgia, where hundreds of workers are, or were, building a new EV battery factory under the Hyundai umbrella. The new factory is supposed to create more than 8,000 new jobs in Georgia once operational. It will most likely be operational, eventually. In the meantime, though, work has halted.

A New EV Battery Factory In Georgia: How It Started …

The new EV battery factory is part of Hyundai Motor Group’s sprawling “Metaplant” manufacturing complex, located in the unincorporated community of Ellabell, in Bryan County near Savannah. The complex broke ground three years ago with an initial investment by Hyundai of $5.54 billion, making it the single biggest economic development project in state history. “Non-affiliated Hyundai Motor Group suppliers will invest approximately another $1 billion in the project, delivering approximately 8,100 new jobs to Georgia’s coastal region,” noted the Georgia Department of Economic Development in 2022.

Metaplant is also a key showpiece for Republican Governor Brian P. Kemp and his job-creating skills as he contemplates his next move in politics.

In 2023, Kemp celebrated the addition of another $2 billion investment in Metaplant through a joint EV battery venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. “In a single year, we broke ground on the largest project in state history, landed multiple suppliers across the state for Hyundai’s Metaplant, and welcomed LGES to Bryan County,” he said.

“These types of major investments ultimately go to hardworking Georgians in the form of paychecks, improved schools and infrastructure, and more. Thank you to Hyundai Motor Group and LGES for again recognizing that the No. 1 state for business is a good investment,” Kemp added for good measure.

… How It’s Going

Well, that was then. The September 4 raid on the construction site may not bring Hyundai’s plans for the new EV battery factory to a screeching halt altogether, but it will certainly throw off the timeline and delay the fruition of new paychecks for hardworking Georgians.

The raid is also a major, potentially career-killing  embarrassment for Kemp. The governor will be term-limited out of office after the 2026 elections. Just a few months ago he publicly declined an opportunity to make a run for the US Senate, leaving his next move up in the air.

With the Senate out of play, the door is open for Kemp to throw his hat into the ring for the next presidential election cycle in 2028. Or, maybe not. He certainly did not have much to say about the matter over the weekend.

The Savannah Business Journal asked the govenor’s office for a statement on September 5. On September 6, they reported that the following statement was relayed through a spokesperson:

“In Georgia, we will always enforce the law, including all state and federal immigration laws. All companies operating within the State must follow the laws of Georgia and our nation.

“The Department of Public Safety (State of Georgia) coordinated with ICE to provide all necessary support for this operation, the latest in a long line of cooperation and partnership between state law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.”

Send In The National Guard!

The Korean press, on the other hand, had plenty to say. Most of the 475 workers reportedly detained at the EV battery factory construction site were citizens of Korea. According to news reports, most if not all were in the US legally, and/or were in the process of establishing their legal status.

The Chosun Daily (the English edition of the longstanding Korean news organization of record, Chosun Ilbo) was among those excoriating the “U.S.’s structural hypocrisy,” for “demanding massive investments from South Korean companies while remaining passive on follow-up support, such as work visa issuance.”

Chosun Daily was also among those noting that on September 3, just one day before the raid, Kemp went on record praising the Korean firm JS Link America for investing $223 million in a new factory in Columbus, Georgia, bringing more than 520 additional new jobs to the state.

“We are excited for the continued growth of manufacturing in west Georgia,” Kemp said. His office further noted that the jobs created by JS Link include engineering, production, construction, administrative, and management positions, with the factory expected to commence operations before the end of 2027.

No word yet on whether or not the governor’s office will be excited to help JS Link expedite visas for Korean workers needed to oversee training, contracts, and other operations so the project can get underway promptly.

He was, however, excited to announce that 300 members of the Georgia National Guard will march on Washington, DC, to pick up trash and help President Trump terrorize local residents. “Georgia is proud to stand with the Trump administration in its mission to ensure the security and beauty of our nation’s capital,” Kemp stated on September 5.

“We share a commitment to upholding public safety and are grateful to these brave Guardsmen and women, for the families that support them, and for their dedication to service above self,” he added.

Doing the math, that makes Georgia the fifth Republican-controlled, Confederate state to participate in the invasion of Washington, a feat they were unable to pull off back in the 1860s. The other four former members of the Confederacy are Louisiana, Mississippi,  Tennessee, and South Carolina. Two other states under Republican control, Ohio and West Virginia, have also sent troops.

So, What Will Happen To Hyundai’s New EV Battery Factory?

Trump and the Republican Party have already snuffed out a good deal of the enthusiasm they garnered from Latino voters during last year’s elections, and now it appears that Asian Americans will be next to turn their backs on the formerly business-friendly party.

Hyundai’s footprint in the US goes well beyond the new EV battery factory, employing thousands of US workers in other parts of the auto industry as well as steel, robotics, energy, and other related concerns.

Perhaps sensing something was afoot, on September 1, the company announced the addition of another $5 billion in new investments into its US operations overall during the next three years, bringing the total amount of its three-year plan to $26 billion since Trump took office.

And this is the thanks they get!

Nevertheless, so far, Hyundai seems willing to take its lumps, appease the Trump administration, and throw its contractors and suppliers under the bus. In an official statement of about 270 words, the company asserted that to its knowledge none of the detained workers are under its direct employ.

“Hyundai has zero tolerance for those who don’t follow the law,” Hyundai stated. “As we continue to invest in American manufacturing and create thousands of jobs, we will do so in full accordance with U.S. law and in a manner that reflects our values of treating all people with dignity and respect.”

No word yet on when construction work will resume at the EV battery site.

Photo: The sprawling Hyundai Metaplant campus in Georgia will host a new EV battery factory, though an immigration raid at the site has halted construction for now (courtesy of Hyundai).