SAVANNAH, Ga. — After the recent immigration raid at the HL-GA Battery Plant, a representative from the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) expressed no worry about the plant’s future or its ties with South Korea.
SEDA President and CEO Trip Tollison said he and his colleagues were surprised to hear about the raid and have been frustrated since.
“It’s a setback. No question about it,” Tollison told News 3.
Roughly 500 construction workers were detained at the Ellabell-based battery plant on the Hyundai megasite on September 4, due to accusations of illegal employment. Tollison noted that many of those apprehended were skilled workers.
According to officials, those workers from outside of the U.S. were hired by subcontractors to complete the battery plant.
“The technology involved is exclusive, with only a few locations globally possessing it,” Tollison stated. “Having these specialists here is crucial for equipping the facility… they’re carrying out highly sophisticated tasks and will be vital in training Americans on its operation once setup is complete.”
Tollison is unsure exactly how many people had or did not have temporary work visas. Regardless, he said the project is now delayed three months.
“The White House has backed our lease agreements, while South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is doing everything possible to expedite their return,” Tollison added.
According to Tollison, this initiative is the largest in Georgia’s history. SEDA spearheaded the $1.6 billion incentive deal to attract Hyundai, which includes tax benefits.
Tollison mentioned that 3,129 Americans currently hold permanent positions there, and this incident doesn’t threaten their jobs or future opportunities at the site. He expressed hope that such situations can be avoided in the future.
“When it comes to construction and when it comes to contractors, subcontractors, sub-sub subcontractors, we don’t drill down. We expect that they follow the law. We expect that they’re here, and they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Tollison said.
News 3 asked Tollison if this operation has impacted relationships or partnerships Hyundai might have, and he said it’s quite the opposite. Just last week, Hyundai announced a phase two expansion of the metaplant, creating 3,000 more jobs in the area.
“I think that that solidifies or definitely highlights how important the partnership is between the state and Hyundai for them to come back to the table and basically, for lack of a better word, double down on what they’re doing here after the raid,” Tollison said. “It’s a very telling moment for us, because they want to be here. They want to continue the partnership. They want to grow.”
