Federal Investigation Leads to Arrest of 48 Workers in South Carolina
A two-year investigation into immigrants using false identity documents led federal authorities to arrest 48 workers at a metal foundry in South Carolina. Six individuals face state charges, including two senior plant executives, officials announced Thursday.
Dozens of federal and local law enforcement agents raided Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville on Wednesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took the workers into custody for alleged immigration violations. The plant manager and the company’s human resources director were arrested for knowingly hiring immigrants without legal authorization to be in the United States, reported State Attorney General Alan Wilson during a press conference.
A state grand jury formally indicted the company executives along with four others accused of creating and distributing false federal and state identifications using information obtained through identity impersonation. Wilson stated, “We want to send a message that this isn’t about targeting people trying to feed their families. This isn’t targeting companies or businesses unknowingly hiring people in irregular situations. It’s about something much bigger, a conspiracy in South Carolina to impersonate identities, create fake Social Security cards, fake driver’s licenses, fake immigration documents.”
Company executives from Burnstein von Seelen did not immediately respond to phone messages or inquiries via their website. The executives are expected to appear Thursday in Richland County court in Columbia, facing charges of conspiracy and identity fraud for employment. It is unknown if they have attorneys to address the accusations.
Burnstein von Seelen, established in 1985, is a metal foundry using various copper, brass, and bronze alloys to manufacture components, according to the company’s website. It is located in Abbeville County, with a population of around 25,000, in western South Carolina, near the Georgia border, approximately 145 kilometers (90 miles) west of Columbia.
ICE officials stated they are reviewing the immigration status of the 48 detained workers, some of whom have had prior encounters with the agency and others with deportation orders. Authorities noted that the investigation is ongoing and more formal charges and arrests may follow.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Carolina is seeking further information on the detention of immigrant workers. The organization expressed skepticism over the government’s initial statements regarding the ICE operation, citing inaccuracies in other immigration raids across the country. ACLU Director Jace Woodrum remarked, “In short, these employees showed up for work, and many of them won’t be able to go back home to their families. We’ve seen similar actions in other states involving serious violations of individual liberties guaranteed for everyone, regardless of immigration status.”
State authorities began the investigation in October 2024. Initially, local law enforcement was frustrated by the lack of federal action against false identifications and identity theft during former President Joe Biden’s administration, said Wilson. This changed when President Donald Trump took office last year, and federal authorities joined the state investigation. Wednesday’s raid at the plant was not typical of Trump’s mass deportation efforts which have faced criticism. Immigration raids at companies have been a relatively minor part of the deportation agenda, and state authorities played a crucial role in the investigation in South Carolina.
Authorities approached the investigation similarly to drug investigations, said prosecutor Creighton Waters, targeting not only individuals using false documentation but also those supplying it.