One Year After the Hyundai Raid, Community Leaders Address Ongoing Impact on Immigrant Workers and Families and Launch the Southeast Justice Fund

September 5, 2026

SAVANNAH, GA – Yesterday, Migrant Equity SouthEast (MESE) convened several immigrant rights organizations to mark the one year anniversary of the Hyundai Metaplant raid in Ellabell, GA. 

Known as the largest single-site enforcement operation in DHS history, advocates gathered to highlight the long-term impacts on Ellabell’s families, communities, and on Coastal Georgia. Community leaders, advocates, and elected officials stood in solidarity with immigrant workers, sharing their reflections and insights on the lasting impact of the raid on immigrant workers and their families. 

“September 4 of 2025 will forever stay with me because of the long term damage it has caused to our immigrant parents, friends, children, and region” said Jenny Miron, Labor Rights Organizer at Migrant Equity SouthEast. “One year later and I still receive calls from Hyundai immigrant workers and their families feeling vulnerable, struggling, and with fear in their voices.” 

“As Savannah and Coastal Georgia continue to grow, we have a responsibility to make sure it doesn’t become a dumping ground for unchecked development, but a community where people feel safe, supported, and connected. That means standing in solidarity with immigrant communities, working alongside local businesses, and making sure the people who live and work here have a real voice in deciding what growth looks like and who it serves,” said Stephanie Cho, Director at Demo Lab South.

“One year ago, armed agents came for workers who were simply building the future of American manufacturing,” said Jung Woo Kim, Co-Director at NAKASEC. “They tried to make our community feel isolated and afraid. But fear will not write our story—our solidarity will. We refuse to be disposable. We demand full protection, full dignity, and a real pathway to citizenship now!”  

“The raid at the Hyundai plant in Ellabell upended the lives of hundreds of workers, their families, and their communities. It was a violent display of force by an administration intent on attacking migrant workers and their rights. As we mark this first anniversary, we hold hope that all those impacted find peace and justice, and we remain fully committed to supporting them in that pursuit,” said Julia Solórzano, Legal and Policy Director at Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.

“One year after the largest ICE raid in history, workers, their families, and our communities are still recovering from the trauma inflicted by the U.S. government and the Georgia State Patrol officers who assisted in this militarized assault. Over the past year, as detention facilities like the Folkston ICE Processing Center have expanded and more of our community members are unjustly detained, we have actively resisted a dangerous, escalating pattern of state violence spread across our neighborhoods and workplaces,” said Meredyth Yoon, Litigation Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta. “We remain steadfast in our solidarity with the impacted workers, and all working people in demanding accountability and an end to capitalist exploitation enforced through state violence. We will continue organizing and fighting alongside our communities until we abolish ICE once and for all.” 

“One year after the Hyundai raid, we come together to reflect on the harm our community endured, honor the strength of the families impacted, and uplift their voices so their stories are never forgotten. This anniversary is a reminder that even in moments of fear and uncertainty, our community continues to have courage, and hope,” said Daniela Rodiguez, Executive Director at Migrant Equity SouthEast.

Despite pending asylum cases and legal work status, many Hyundai workers were forced to leave the United States after weeks or months of ICE detention, contracting chronic health problems and leaving families without their primary breadwinner. In response to the ongoing pressures faced by immigrant communities across Coastal Georgia, Migrant Equity SouthEast (MESE) launched the Southeast Justice Fund to ensure every family is resourced and lives with dignity. 

Link to recorded event.

Link to our official statement on the 1-year anniversary.

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About Migrant Equity Southeast

Migrant Equity SouthEast (MESE) is a Latinx and immigrant-led 501(c)(3) in South Georgia serving migrant and refugee communities across the Southeast. MESE advances immigrant rights through advocacy, mutual aid, education, and outreach.