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Over 400 people were detained on Sept. 4 during an immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where the South Korean auto company, Hyundai, manufactures electric vehicles, according to a Homeland Security official.

Steven Schrank, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, said at a news briefing Sept. 5 that the majority of the people detained were from South Korea.

鈥淭his operation underscores our commitment to jobs for Georgians and Americans,鈥� Mr. Schrank said. 鈥淭his was in fact the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations.鈥�

The investigation has been ongoing for several months, with authorities receiving leads from community members and former workers, he said.

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as 鈥渓arge鈥� though he did not provide an exact figure.

He said the detained workers were part of a 鈥渘etwork of subcontractors,鈥� and that the employees worked for a variety of different companies on the site.

The raid targeted one of Georgia鈥檚 largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, touted by Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials as the largest economic development project in the state鈥檚 history.

Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea鈥檚 biggest automaker, began manufacturing electric vehicles a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people, and has partnered with LG Energy Solution to build an adjacent battery plant, slated to open next year.聽In a statement to The Associated Press, LG said it was 鈥渃losely monitoring the situation and gathering all relevant details.鈥� It said it couldn鈥檛 immediately confirm how many of its employees or Hyundai workers had been detained.

鈥淥ur top priority is always ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees and partners. We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities,鈥� the company said.

Hyundai鈥檚 South Korean office didn鈥檛 immediately respond to requests for comment.

ICE spokesman Lindsay Williams confirmed that federal authorities conducted an enforcement operation at the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) site west of Savannah, Georgia. He said agents were focused on the construction site for the battery plant.

In a televised statement, Mr. Lee said the ministry is taking active measures to address the case, dispatching diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in Atlanta to the site, and planning to form an on-site response team centered on the local mission.

鈥淭he business activities of our investors and the rights of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the process of U.S. law enforcement,鈥� Mr. Lee said.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that agents executed a search warrant 鈥渁s part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.鈥�

President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration has undertaken sweeping ICE operations as part of a mass deportation agenda. Immigration officers have raided farms, construction sites, restaurants, and auto repair shops.

The Pew Research Center, citing preliminary Census Bureau data, says the U.S. labor force lost more than 1.2 million immigrants from January through July. That includes people who are in the country illegally as well as legal residents.

Hyundai and LG鈥檚 battery joint venture, HL-GA Battery Company, said in a statement that it鈥檚 鈥渃ooperating fully with the appropriate authorities鈥� and paused construction of the battery site to assist their work.

Operations at Hyundai鈥檚 EV manufacturing plant weren鈥檛 interrupted, said plant spokesperson Bianca Johnson.

The Georgia plant has also been a test ground for robots. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics said earlier this year it would start deploying its dog-like Spot robot to inspect exterior quality at the facility鈥檚 weld shop. The Massachusetts-based robotics company also planned to put its humanoid robot, Atlas, to work there in the future.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.