Even before a massive immigration raid September 4 on a Hyundai EV battery plant and construction site in Georgia, contractors around the country were reporting delays from such raids on their projects.
The raid on the HL-GA Battery Company LLC site in Ellabell, Georgia, led to the detainment of “over 475 people who were unlawfully working at the location,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Georgia. Homeland Security Investigations called it the agency’s “largest single site enforcement operation” in its history. HL-GA is a joint venture of Hyundai Motor Company and LG Energy Solution for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles.
The raid resulted in the detainment of around 300 South Korean nationals. Many were working for subcontractors and contractors on construction occurring at the site. The names of the companies or contractors hiring the workers were unknown, according to the attorney’s office.
The Associated Press interviewed an immigration lawyer who said Korean workers caught up in the raid were here on the B-1 business visitor visa program and were staying temporarily to set up the plant and train U.S. workers. The AP also reported an immigration advocate saying residents of Mexico and Central and South America were also detained.
The raid involved 400 agents from various state, local and federal agencies. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement released the following video of the raid, including footage of workers who tried to escape in a nearby sewage pond:
More Contractors Affected by Raids
Such raids are becoming more common on construction sites around the country since Trump returned to office, leading to project delays.
A survey completed in early August by the Associated General Contractors of its members revealed 28% of respondents reported “being affected directly or indirectly by immigration enforcement activities during the past 6 months.”
AGC said the survey also showed:
- 5% reported “a jobsite or offsite was visited by immigration agents.”
- 10% said “workers left or failed to appear because of actual or rumored immigration actions.”
- 20% reported “subcontractors lost workers.”
The survey noted that the impact of immigration enforcement varied by state, with Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Nebraska and South Carolina seeing the most impact in the past six months. In Georgia, 75% of contractors had been affected, and 36% in South Carolina, according to the survey. In contrast, Idaho reported only 8% and Alaska 9% of construction firms affected.
More Project Delays
The raids come at a time of chronic worker shortages in construction. The AGC survey reported that 92% of responding contractors had a hard time filling open positions.
It’s also causing project delays. According to the survey, 45% of respondents have experienced project delays due to worker shortages over the past 12 months.
“As the survey results show, construction workforce shortages aren’t just a problem for the construction industry,” says AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. “Construction projects of all types are being delayed because there aren’t enough qualified workers available for firms to hire.”
AGC’s Call for Action
To combat the worker shortage, AGC is calling for more funding for construction education and training programs and ways for people to legally enter the country to work in the industry.
The association is seeking a “new, construction-specific temporary work visa program.”
It is also pushing for a new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that allocates at least half of the money for worker training programs.
“Our goal is to make sure the construction industry remains a driver of economic growth in this country,” Simonson said. “The best way to do that is to ensure it has the workforce, and the demand, needed to continue building the American economy.”
