Hyundai Metaplant ICE Raid Lawsuit Filed
Hyundai Metaplant ICE raid survivor and Colombian national Alfredo Fajardo Melgarejo has filed a formal $2 million administrative claim against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, exactly one year after a massive workplace crackdown at the South Korea-backed automaker’s Georgia facility. Fajardo was among approximately 475 workers arrested on September 4, 2025, at the Metaplant construction site in Ellabell, near Savannah, while working on an LG Energy Solution joint-venture battery plant.
Allegations of Excessive Force and Detention
According to the federal tort claim filed by legal representatives from a non-profit organization, Fajardo possessed valid work authorization at the time of the raid. However, the claim alleges that armed ICE agents used excessive physical force, including pointing firearms and putting him in a chokehold. Despite presenting his work permit, driver’s license, and state ID to agents, he was detained with hundreds of Latino and Asian workers, bound in tight metal chains and handcuffs that allegedly caused burns from the hot sun, and later transferred to detention facilities before being deported to Colombia in May 2026.
Department of Homeland Security Response
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has contested the allegations, stating to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) that agents did not use excessive force during the Hyundai Metaplant ICE raid. DHS maintained that Fajardo had previously entered the U.S. after being encountered near the Mexican border under the Biden administration, emphasizing that possessing a work authorization does not equate to having a legal immigration status in the United States.
