Updated 2:28 p.m.
Federal agents arrested 30 people at a Kings Mountain factory Wednesday during a workplace enforcement operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to a news release, ICE agents and other law enforcement officers arrived at the Buckeye Fire Equipment Company on Kings Road on Wednesday, June 25, to carry out a federal search warrant related to "serious allegations of aggravated identity theft and potential federal crimes."
ICE has not released the names, nationalities or charges of those arrested, citing internal policy and privacy laws. ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams said the individuals were transferred to federal detention centers in Georgia.
“Identity fraud is not a victimless crime,” said Cardell Morant, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte. “It fuels a range of criminal activity and puts innocent people at risk.”
The arrests come as ICE has ramped up activity across the Charlotte area in recent months — though few workplace raids have been reported by local media. Previously, agents have arrested people outside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse and near an east Charlotte school's carpool line. Agents have also been spotted in the parking lot of a Charlotte church during preschool hours, and at an east Charlotte apartment complex.
Agents arrived unannounced, employees told 'no recording'
News of the operation circulated on social media shortly after 1 p.m. One employee shared video showing law enforcement officers and coworkers gathered on the factory floor. Some officers wore masks and tactical gear, and at least two were armed with rifles.
Buckeye employee Eric Pinon told Queen City News that he recorded the raid's initial moments until an agent grabbed his phone and turned it off.
He said workers were held in a room for about an hour before being questioned one by one, and those with verified legal status were given blue wristbands.
ICE later released edited footage of the operation showing agents presenting a search warrant, collecting phones and other personal items, and walking individuals out of the building in handcuffs. The video also showed agents using a pickaxe to break a door window.
Family members, protesters gathered outside
Outside the facility, a small group of relatives and community members gathered, some holding signs protesting ICE action.
A 16-year-old girl told a Shelby Star reporter that her mother, who worked at Buckeye, had called her around 1 p.m. but she had not heard from her since.
SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS
No matter what happens in Congress, WFAE remains committed to our mission: to serve our community with fact-based, nonpartisan journalism. But our ability to do that depends on the strength of the financial response from the communities we serve. Please support our journalism by contributing today.
"I don't know if she's in custody, or if she's coming home tonight or ever," she said.
Williams said the detained workers were transferred to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, or the Folkston ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia.
He said those facing additional criminal charges would be transferred to the Gaston County Detention Center, though county officials said no detainees had been booked there as of Friday.
Buckeye Fire Equipment, which manufactures fire extinguishers and related products, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The enforcement action involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF and local law enforcement. The Kings Mountain Police Department said it had limited involvement, focused only on any potential state charges that might arise.
