Meet The MAGA Woman Who Called ICE on the Hyundai Plant in Georgia

I try my best not to give one-off MAGA extremists a lot of airtime because let’s face it, that’s exactly what they want. This story is different, though, because this woman single-handedly ruined US/South Korea relations and is actively running for Congress.

Tori Branum, MAGA caller via Twitter

Tori Branum is a self-proclaimed “America First” supporter of Donald Trump who spent years in the Marine Corps. She’s running for Congress in Georgia’s 12th congressional district. The Hyundai plant is in rural Bryan County, just outside of Branum’s district. The raid resulted in the arrest of 450 people, making it one of the largest raids in U.S. history.

The worst part? Many of the workers were on H-1 B visas, which means they weren’t even “undocumented”.

The Hyundai Motor Group Megaplant in Georgia is the state’s largest economic development project, particularly in the Savannah region. It’s a $7.6 billion automobile assembly plant that was opened in 2024, producing electric/hybrid vehicles while investing in regional job creation and economic growth. This is part of a larger $12.6 billion investment by Hyundai in Georgia, making it the largest economic development project in the state's history.

It has a goal of employing about 8,100 people by 2031, or at least it did before the raid.

As a result of this raid, South Korean officials are traveling to the US to secure the return of their detained workers. The foreign minister arrived in the US on Monday, expressing “concern and regret” over the operation while urging the American government to respect the sovereignty of its citizens.

The release of the workers is something that the South Korean government has been working on over the weekend to bring the detained back to South Korea on chartered flights.

The raid occurred only two weeks after Seoul agreed to invest billions of dollars in the US to help America produce essential supplies, such as car batteries. Needless to say, this has caused an increasing amount of tension and uncertainty about whether South Korea will continue to invest the money.

Trump proceeded to defend the operation and dismiss concerns that this would discourage foreign investment. He posted on Truth Social that the US would make it easy for foreign companies to bring over their “great technical talent, to build world-class products,” but said that in return, they would “hire and train American Workers”.

What has occurred in Georgia is not just another case of MAGA posturing; it's an economic and diplomatic crisis in the making. Tori Branum's involvement in an operation that constituted one of the most extensive immigration raids in U.S. history, on legal visa holders, has jeopardized billions in international investment, strained a critical international relationship, and brought into question the fate of thousands of American jobs.

South Korea is a worthwhile economic and strategic partner, and this reckless drama undermines not only U.S. credibility but the very same communities that would benefit from projects like the Hyundai megaplant.

This isn't about protecting American workers; it’s about using anti-immigrant fear for political points, regardless of the cost. And if this is the kind of leadership Branum wants to bring to Congress, we should all be paying attention.