Federal authorities detained more than 300 illegal immigrants after raiding a South Carolina chicken processing plant Tuesday.
The House of Raeford in Columbia, S.C., was under investigation for months before the raid.
Officials entered the farm during an afternoon shift change, according to the Associated Press. Officials locked workers inside the factory and ordered individuals to show proof of identification, U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald told The New York Times.
Seven of the 12 people charged with falsifying documents pled guilty, The Times reported. Two have fled and three await trial, McDonald told The Times.
Officials are also looking into the hiring practices of the company's other factories in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan, according to The Times.
-M.M.
