‘They Are Legally Here’: ICE Detains Six Roofers in the Keys, Sparking Outrage and Questions

In Florida’s Lower Keys, a regular morning for six workers who were engaged in a roofing job quickly turned into a situation of worry and stress for their families and friends. On May 27, the Nicaraguan men were traveling to their work site when their work truck was found on the roadside with them nowhere to be found.

That incident caused some panic, especially among the families and colleagues who, for not understandable reasons, were very confused and became extremely worried. A report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed the worst fear of people: the men were detained by the authorities while they were working.

The spokesperson from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the same statement that they still need to gather information. He or she added that the detailed clarification will not be late.

The sheriff’s office stated that the deputies were called to help in moving the alleged criminals to the Keys detention center for deportation purposes. The communities closest to the men reject what the authorities declare as correct.

“It’s a shock,” said Virgil Scardina, shocked, his answer, when Virgil, a partner, who had worked alongside the detained roofers was asked about what he saw. “What happened is very clear.”

Her attorney, Regilucia Smith, is of the same opinion. On her arrival, after the men had disappeared, Smith was informed that they had been taken by ICE. Smith, who pointed out that most of them have work permits and asylum applications that are being processed, says this is a clear legal denial of the deportation to the U.S.

“They are legally here. They have authorization to stay,” Smith said, emphasizing that a quick check of the Immigration & Naturalization Service database would have revealed all six of the men having proper paperwork. “A valid work permit, far from expired and again, no criminal record – here or in Nicaragua.”

What is greatly disturbing is the fact that the real concern is no longer on the part of the men but of their families about safety. Smith disclosed that her clients are now scared – hardly only for being detained for no specified period but mainly that they will be expatriated to Nicaragua, a place with dark political and social periods at that point. “They are afraid to not be let go,” she said, “but even more so those who are deported have the power to change their own lives.”

The one incident now has become a protest of racial profiling and a demand for a stop to the abuse of immigration authority. According to the men’s co-worker, Virgil, the men’s arrest was less to do with their legal status and more to do with their outward appearance.

“It was pretty much clear from the start that they were stopped only because they were six Latino men, all possessing a work truck,” he said, criticizing how such profiling could bring the whole Latino community into a dread.

She’s not the only one affected by this to the core. The sister of a certain imprisoned roofer who preferred not to reveal her name out of fear for her safety, stated that the brother of her was sincere at heart and just intended to work hard and do better in life in the U.S.
“He is always polite, never crosses that line,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We all just wish that he was able to come home.”
At this time, three men have been brought to the Krome Detention Center in South Florida. The rest of the men were sent to other facilities in California and Texas, where they ended up being thousands of miles from home.

The current situation has raised anxiety for both entrepreneurs and employees who are immigrants. “This is not only a Latino scare,” Virgil stated. “This is scary for entrepreneurs, local economies, and anyone who stands for justice and due process. “Tell me, who is the real beneficiary here?” he concluded.