US officials detain many Korean workers at Hyundai plant.

US – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) -US officials have arrested hundreds of workers at a new Hyundai car battery plant in Georgia. The large-scale operation happened on Thursday and stopped all work at the construction site.

Immigration authorities detained about 475 people. Officials say most of those arrested were from South Korea. This is the largest raid of its kind at a single site in US history.

The event may strain relations between the US and South Korea, a close ally. The two countries recently agreed on a major trade deal involving billions of dollars in investments.

Authorities stated the workers were not allowed to have jobs in the US. They had either entered the country illegally or stayed after their visas expired. The investigation took many months.

A police official explained this was not a quick roundup. He said there was a network of companies hiring these workers on the site.

Pakistani-origin MP Shabana Mahmood is new UK home secretary.

Hyundai said none of the detained people were its direct employees. The company promised a full investigation. They stated they have zero tolerance for suppliers who break the law.

The workers were held at a nearby detention center. While most were South Korean, the exact number is unclear. The raid, called “Operation Low Voltage,” involved over 400 officers.

Hyundai’s business partner, LG Energy Solutions, said it is cooperating and has paused construction. The plant was supposed to open later this year.

The stock price for both Hyundai and LG dropped after the news.

The White House said all foreign workers must have proper permission to work in the US. South Korea’s government said it was concerned and asked that its citizens’ rights be respected.

Video from the site showed officials telling everyone to stop working immediately. The US Justice Department said some people tried to run away during the raid. A few were even found hiding in a pond on the property.

Georgia’s Democratic Party criticized the raid, calling it a scare tactic. However, the state’s Republican governor said Georgia will always enforce the law.

Hyundai confirmed that this does not affect its electric car production. The battery factory is a huge $4.3 billion project. It is a key part of Hyundai’s massive investment in Georgia, which is the largest in the state’s history.