In brief
A week‑long raid on the metal‑casting shop in Abbeville, South Carolina, led to the detention of 48 employees and the arrest of the plant’s manager and human resources director. The operation was part of a federal and state joint investigation that uncovered a network selling counterfeit Social Security cards, driver’s licenses and immigration papers. Attorney General Alan Wilson said the case is about a conspiracy that undermines the integrity of government records. The raid, while not part of the broader Trump‑era mass deportation campaign, signals a renewed federal focus on identity fraud and illegal employment practices. The investigation continues with possible further indictments.
On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville, South Carolina, detaining 48 workers and arresting the plant’s manager and human‑resources director for allegedly hiring undocumented employees.
The raid followed a two‑year probe that uncovered a network selling counterfeit U.S. and state identification documents—fake Social Security cards, driver’s licenses and immigration papers—using stolen personal information. A state grand jury indicted the company’s top managers and four others for identity fraud.
Attorney General Alan Wilson said the investigation was “about a conspiracy that undermines the certainty of our government’s records” and that it was part of a broader federal push against false identification after the change in administration.
Officials said the raid was not a typical mass deportation operation but a targeted effort driven by state leadership, with federal authorities stepping in to enforce the law. The investigation continues, with possible additional indictments and arrests.
Burnstein von Seelen, founded in 1985, specializes in metal casting using copper, brass and bronze alloys. The company is located in Abbeville County, a rural area nine traffic miles from the Georgia line and about one hundred forty‑five kilometers west of Columbia.
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