Federal agents detained 48 workers at a South Carolina manufacturing facility following a lengthy investigation into fraudulent identity documents, officials announced Thursday.
The two-year probe culminated Wednesday when dozens of federal and local law enforcement officers conducted a raid at Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the workers into custody for alleged immigration violations.
State Attorney General Alan Wilson revealed at a news conference that the company’s plant manager and human resources director were arrested on accusations of knowingly employing individuals illegally present in the United States.
A state grand jury handed down indictments against the two company officials along with four additional individuals accused of manufacturing and distributing fraudulent U.S. and state identification documents using stolen personal information.
“We want to send a message that this isn’t about going after people who are trying to feed their family,” Wilson said. “This isn’t going after companies or businesses who unknowingly hiring illegal. This is about going after something much larger, you know, a conspiracy of people around South Carolina to steal identities, to create fake Social Security cards, fake driver’s license, fake immigration documents.”
Company representatives from Burnstein von Seelen did not respond to requests for comment made by telephone and through their website.
The two company managers were scheduled to appear Thursday at the Richland County Courthouse in Columbia to face criminal conspiracy and identity fraud charges related to obtaining employment. Legal representation for the defendants was not immediately known.
According to its website, Burnstein von Seelen began operations in 1985 as a metals casting operation, utilizing various copper, brass and bronze alloys to manufacture numerous components. The facility operates in Abbeville County, which has approximately 25,000 residents in western South Carolina near the Georgia border, roughly 90 miles west of Columbia.
ICE representatives stated they were examining the immigration status of the 48 detained workers, noting that some had prior ICE encounters and others had received previous deportation orders.
Law enforcement indicated the investigation remains active with potential additional indictments and arrests anticipated.
The state investigation launched in October 2024. Wilson explained that local authorities initially felt frustrated by limited federal action against false identification and identity theft during President Joe Biden’s administration. He noted that federal participation increased after President Donald Trump assumed office last year.
The Wednesday business raid differed from typical mass deportation operations that have drawn criticism during Trump’s administration. Workplace immigration enforcement has represented a relatively minor component of the deportation campaign, with state officials leading the South Carolina investigation.
Prosecutor Creighton Waters said officials approached the case using methods similar to drug investigations, targeting both individuals using fraudulent documents and those providing them.
