Federal officials have detained 48 workers at a South Carolina metal casting business, while six individuals, including two top managers, face state charges following a two-year investigation into immigrants using fake identity documents.
The operation unfolded on Wednesday when dozens of federal and local law enforcement officers raided Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took the workers into custody on alleged immigration violations. Concurrently, the company's plant manager and human resources director were arrested on allegations of knowingly hiring immigrants residing in the US illegally, state Attorney General Alan Wilson announced.
The two company officials were indicted by a state grand jury, alongside four other individuals accused of manufacturing and selling fraudulent US and state identification documents using stolen identities. Wilson emphasised the investigation's broader scope, stating it targets a conspiracy of identity theft rather than those simply seeking work.
Officials at Burnstein von Seelen, founded in 1985, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The two managers were expected to appear at the Richland County Courthouse in Columbia on Thursday to face charges of criminal conspiracy and identity fraud to obtain employment.
ICE officials are reviewing the immigration status of the 48 detained workers, some of whom reportedly had previous encounters with ICE or had been previously ordered deported. Authorities indicated the investigation is ongoing, with the possibility of further indictments and arrests.
The probe began approximately two years ago, initially state-led due to frustration with federal enforcement under the previous administration, but shifted after President Donald Trump took office, leading to federal authorities joining the investigation. Prosecutor Creighton Waters noted the investigation adopted an approach similar to drug probes, targeting both users and suppliers of phony documentation.
