Federal Investigation in South Carolina Foundry Leads to Arrests

A two-year investigation into immigrants using false identification documents resulted in federal authorities arresting 48 workers at a metal foundry in South Carolina. Six individuals face state charges, including two senior executives of the plant, as announced by authorities on Thursday.

Federal and local security agencies raided the Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings facilities in Abbeville on Wednesday. ICE agents took workers into custody for alleged immigration violations, while the plant manager and the human resources director were arrested on charges of knowingly hiring immigrants without legal authorization, according to State Attorney General Alan Wilson at a press conference.

A state grand jury formally charged the company executives, along with four others accused of manufacturing and selling fake federal and state identifications using stolen identity information. Wilson emphasized that the goal wasn’t to target those trying to provide for their families or businesses unknowingly hiring unauthorized individuals, but to address a larger conspiracy involving identity theft and the creation of fake documents statewide.

“We aim to tackle the broader issue here,” said Wilson. “It’s about a statewide conspiracy in South Carolina involving identity theft and the creation of fake Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, and immigration documents.”

The Burnstein von Seelen executives are expected to appear in Richland County Court in Columbia on Thursday, facing charges of criminal conspiracy and identity fraud for employment purposes. It’s unknown if they have attorneys to respond to these charges.

Founded in 1985, Burnstein von Seelen is a metal foundry using copper, brass, and bronze alloys to make components, according to its website. The company is located in Abbeville County, which has a population of about 25,000 people, near Georgia’s border and about 90 miles west of Columbia.

ICE officials are reviewing the immigration status of the 48 detained workers, some of whom have previously encountered the agency and have deportation orders. Authorities said the investigation continues, and more charges or arrests may follow.

The South Carolina chapter of the ACLU is seeking more information about the immigrant workers’ arrest, expressing skepticism over initial government statements about the ICE operation due to past misdescriptions of nationwide immigration raids. Jace Woodrum, the group’s executive director, highlighted the disruption for workers unable to return to their families.

“These employees went to work, and many won’t return home to their families,” said Woodrum. “Similar actions in other states include significant violations of civil liberties guaranteed to all, regardless of immigration status.”

State authorities began the investigation in October 2024. Initially, local law enforcement faced frustration over the federal inaction on fake identifications and identity theft during former President Joe Biden’s tenure, Wilson noted. This changed when President Donald Trump took office last year, with federal authorities joining the state investigation.

The raid on Wednesday was not typical of Trump’s larger deportation efforts, which have faced criticism. Immigration raids at businesses have been a smaller portion of the deportation campaign, and state authorities played a critical role in the South Carolina investigation.

Authorities tackled the investigation similar to drug probes, pursuing not only those using false documentation but also those supplying it, said Prosecutor Creighton Waters.