A large-scale operation led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with several South Carolina law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of 54 people at a metal mold factory in the rural town of Abbeville.
The operation began on the morning of Wednesday, June 3, and concluded at noon at the Bernstein Von Seelen Precision Casting plant, with the participation of the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and other local law enforcement agencies.
The operation caused fear and confusion
According to information from several media outlets in that state, the so-called "Operation Ghost Story" had immediate effects on the community, with reports of businesses and establishments closing due to fear and confusion.
“South Carolina residents are fearful today after the raid at a workplace in Abbeville. While politicians are touting this raid, they have given the public very few details; we do know that 48 workers now face immigration charges,” said Jace Woodrum, director of the ACLU in South Carolina.
“The bottom line is that these employees showed up for work, and many of them will not be able to return home to their families,” the director added on the organization’s X account.
This action coincided with the road safety operation The ICE operation, conducted from May 12-14 on several highways crossing the state, focused on York County, near the North Carolina border. Authorities reported that the operation resulted in the arrest of 114 people.
48 undocumented workers arrested
Attorney General Alan Wilson announced yesterday the formal indictment of six people and the arrest of another 48 on immigration charges.
Photos and videos circulated on social media showing the operation, with people in handcuffs being escorted out of the plant.
It was reported that two factory managers were arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, and forgery.
The state alleges that Christopher Douglas Ramey and Sandy Lynn Willis “knowingly facilitated the use of fraudulent identifications by undocumented immigrants under their responsibility, by not verifying the legitimacy of their identifications before hiring them.”
Related: New proposal in North Carolina would require small businesses to use E-verify for employees
Four accused of selling false documents
Of the rest of detained by ICE48 are workers accused of immigration violations, and four others were charged with selling counterfeit documents, such as Social Security cards and other fraudulent identifications.
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office released in a statement the names of the four Latinos with criminal records charged along with the two American supervisors: José Luis Aguilar Mejía, Lázaro Hernández Hernández (Diego Hernández), Xavier Martínez Adorno and Zenon Rojas Cabrera.
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