Indonesia Steps In After Citizen Detained in U.S. Hyundai Plant Immigration Raid
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one of its citizens has been detained in a large-scale immigration raid at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Ellabell, Georgia, United States, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025.
Director for the Protection of Indonesian Nationals at the Foreign Ministry, Judha Nugraha, said the citizen, identified as CHT, was on a business visit to meet Hyundai management. He emphasized that CHT held all valid travel documents, including a passport, visa, and an official invitation from the company.
“CHT had planned a one-month business trip to the United States and was fully equipped with a passport, visa, and company invitation,” Judha told reporters on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
The Indonesian Consulate General in Houston has since contacted the Folkston ICE Processing Center, where CHT is currently being held. However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has yet to provide further details on the case.
“KJRI Houston will provide consular assistance for CHT,” Judha said, adding that the mission has also coordinated with CHT’s colleagues and Hyundai Metaplant officials.
Largest Raid Nets 475 Detainees
The raid at Hyundai Metaplant resulted in the detention of 475 individuals, most of them South Korean nationals. The operation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Marshals Service.
HSI’s special agent for Georgia, Steven Schrank, said the operation followed months of investigation into suspected violations at the plant. The mass arrests underscore the Biden administration’s increasingly strict enforcement of immigration laws, particularly in the fast-growing electric vehicle manufacturing sector.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, voiced concern over the arrests and said Seoul was preparing to send a senior diplomat to Washington for talks. “We are deeply concerned and feel responsible for the detention of our citizens. We will immediately discuss dispatching a senior Foreign Ministry official to the site,” Cho said.
The case has drawn international attention because it took place at one of Hyundai’s largest U.S. electric vehicle production facilities. It also highlights how immigration enforcement is becoming a flashpoint in American politics as the country approaches its next presidential election.
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