The Fire Marshal Who Chained That Door - and Found 62 Workers Locked Inside

A Pawtucket mill cleared every routine inspection. A fire marshal's second visit changed that at 4:58 AM. Inside: 62 workers, 49 confiscated passports, and a chain padlocked across the only night exit. Rhode Island, November 2025. HSI, DOL, and state police executed a coordinated pre-dawn entry. Three defendants charged. Nineteen years imposed. Built from open-source reporting and analysis. No classified information. Archive footage from official releases and open sources illustrates the events described. Shots are representative and do not necessarily show this specific case. Chapters and sources below. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one:    / @federaldocketus