Sunday Solutions — Sept. 7, 2025
Good morning! We’re back from holiday with news, a new feature and a new face. We charge into the morning with news from the week and updates on the outlook for covid vaccines this fall.
Got a question or suggestion? Send it to us while you’re thinking about it: staff@thecurrentga.org
NEWS: BUSINESS
Plant raid, overstayed visas and more
On Thursday morning, federal and state officers from 10 law enforcement agencies flooded the Hyundai Metaplant site in north Bryan County. Later that day, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations officers announced more than 475 people had been detained after a criminal warrant was served at the HL-GA Battery Company, LLC, construction site behind the main Hyundai plant. They said the move was part of a lengthy investigation into the unlawful hiring of illegal aliens at the site. The raid, called Operation Low Voltage, was the largest single site enforcement operation ever carried out by the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement division.
According to HSI officials in a Friday press briefing, those detained have been taken to the Immigration Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston. Updates to the situation that’s paused plant construction continue to come in. In a statement to The BBC, site partner LG Energy Solution said 47 employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture battery plant were detained and they were working to make sure detainees were getting necessary medications.
Officials also said that many violations flagged were immigrants without authorization or others who overstayed visas. They said others came in through the Visa Waiver Program which allows entry for a set time but does not allow travelers to hold a job while visiting. A story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains the visa waiver that may affect as many as a third of those detained in the Hyundai site raid.
EXPLAINER: TRANSPARENCY
SHINING THE LIGHT
Welcome to a new feature: Spotlight Doc. The Current’s reporters read dozens of documents every week. A document such as a court ruling can drive an entire story, like a failed court appeal that’s set to cost Camden County $2.6 million. But a document might just give us some background information about the operations of our local, state and federal government.
This week’s document is Gov. Brian Kemp’s appointments calendar. We request these periodically to understand who gets official face time with Georgia’s top elected official. A calendar does not represent all of a governor’s activities. If you want to follow what we’ve collected so far, here’s the link to bookmark.
NEWS: COURTS, COMMUNITY
Brunswick homeless shelter can stay open
FaithWorks Ministry, which operates The Well, has won a two-year legal battle with the city of Brunswick and can continue to run its homeless shelter. The city had tried to close The Well by changing zoning ordinances and filing a nuisance suit, but FaithWorks countersued in federal court, saying that the authorities were violating its religious freedom. The settlement allows The Well to operate at its current location and to operate as an emergency shelter in bad weather. In the agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, city officials must take civil rights training. The Current’s Jabari Gibbs wraps up the agreements made as part of a mandated mediation process.
🎉 Congratulations to Will Fell for knowing that the last Spyglass was a beautiful window at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Darien, visible from Vernon Square. We had 4 correct answers last week — let’s see how you do this week.
Test how well you spy details in Coastal Georgia. Give us the location of the item in the photo above. Some spots may be easier to identify than others; some will be tougher. We’ll collect correct answers each week and draw for a weekly winner.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE YOUR ANSWER
NEWS: UPDATES
From the week
- Election official who landed in the national spotlight in 2020 launches bid for secretary of state: Gabe Sterling warned that polarizing rhetoric could be dangerous to the system and its workers in the 2020 political season. Now he’s running to be in charge of Georgia elections. From Georgia Recorder.
- Camden County’s appeal fails, must settle $2.6 million debt for spaceport site: The court ruled that the county needs to pay up on the land it bought for a failed rocket launch project. From The Current’s Margaret Coker.
- Georgia to send over 300 National Guard troops to Washington: Gov. Brian Kemp already sent state soldiers to help out immigrations officers. Now he’s assigning some to the federal effort in D.C. From Georgia Recorder. Why is this Guard use controversial? Here’s an explainer from a former FBI Special Agent, lawyer and professor of philosophy for The Conversation.
NEWS FROM THE CURRENT
Welcome, Jasmine!
Fall reporting fellow Jasmine Wright has arrived just in time for cooler weather. She’s a 2025 graduate from Indiana University with a bachelor’s in journalism. While at IU, Jasmine worked as an investigative reporter for the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism and as a local government reporter and feature writer for the radio station WFHB. Jasmine’s fellowship is supported by Rural News Network via the Scripps Howard Foundation and The Current‘s donors.
EXPLAINER: HEALTH
☕ Your second cup: Can I get a shot yet?
We have questions, so we bet you do, too. If you’re looking for a covid shot or booster this fall, the situation is a bit complicated: Pharmacies may ask for a prescription, and guidance on who should get one is murky and that affects whether insurance will pay for it. We’ve found some explainers that may help when you are considering whether to get a covid shot for family members or yourself.
- New Covid shots arriving in pharmacies. Why you may need a prescription – for now: The picture for Georgia residents. From Healthbeat and KFF Health News.
- Pediatricians’ association recommends COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers and some older children, breaking with CDC guidance: Researcher from the American Academy of Pediatrics explains the decision. From The Conversation.
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Federal operation at Savannah-area Hyundai plant nets 475 detentions
By Craig Nelson
Over 475 people were detained in a raid on the Hyundai electric vehicle plant in Georgia, part of a lengthy investigation into the unlawful hiring of illegal aliens at the site.
What does Gov. Brian Kemp do each day? Here’s his calendar.
By The Current
Read the schedules and meetings on Governor Brian Kemp’s schedules, obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act.
Brunswick ordered to drop lawsuit against The Well in DOJ settlement
By Jabari Gibbs
FaithWorks Ministry has won its two-year legal battle with the city of Brunswick to continue operating its homeless shelter, The Well, after a federal judge ordered mediation and the city agreed to dismiss its nuisance lawsuit and provide training to city officials on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Election official who landed in the national spotlight in 2020 launches bid for secretary of state
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
Gabriel Sterling, former COO of the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, has launched a bid to become the state’s next top elections official, joining a growing field of Republican candidates who have publicly opposed the voting systems he has worked to implement.
Camden County’s appeal fails, must settle $2.6 million debt for spaceport site
By Margaret Coker
Camden County has been told by a federal appeals court to pay the outstanding money owed to Union Carbide Corp for the land where county commissioners wanted to build a now-defunct spaceport, ending the county’s efforts to recoup its costs from the failed project.
Georgia to send over 300 National Guard troops to Washington
Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder
Georgia is sending 300 soldiers and 16 support staff from the Georgia National Guard to Washington to assist the Trump administration in restoring public safety, despite criticism from state leaders and the D.C. Attorney General.
New Covid shots arriving in pharmacies. Why you may need a prescription – for now
By Rebecca Grapevine/Healthbeat
Georgians who want to get the latest Covid vaccine will need a doctor’s prescription until the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes a recommendation in September, at which point pharmacists may be able to provide the shots without a prescription.
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