A Maryland woman allegedly called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents investigated six workers of Guatemalan descent as they were busy repairing her roof. Video of the men being detained by ICE agents surfaced on social media after one of their colleagues, Bryan Polanco, live-streamed the incident. Although the video, which Polanco originally posted on his Instagram account, has been deleted, it has been shared on multiple social media platforms. The incident sparked widespread outrage.
“We actually have a project that’s going to start today… and the homeowners are kind of what’s called emigration as they start work,” Polanco told Spanish-language broadcaster Univision.
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“What she told me, and what I tell others, is that if immigrants come back again to complete the program, she will always call ICE.“
The men who came to work at the woman’s house from Glen Burnie were reportedly aged between 18 and 40 years old.
What does the video show?
The video captures several workers being confronted by ICE agents on the roof, asking them to climb down. as video Continuing, a woman – presumably the homeowner – was observing the interaction between the crew and ICE agents.
What is social media saying?
The incident sparked public outrage and debate. Critics have called for legal action against the woman, claiming she recruited the workers with full knowledge of their identities.
“This is pure evil,” one person commented, while another added, “I would be happy if they could charge her with knowingly hiring immigrant workers.”
A third said: “Well I would remove everything installed. This is pure evil.” A fourth wrote: “Shouldn’t she be arrested for hiring them? I hope she gets comeuppance.”
Some also questioned the timing of her call to ICE. As the work was nearing completion, she reportedly relocated the crew to agents, allegedly to avoid paying a $10,000 fee.
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The worker’s roofing company has not publicly responded to the incident.
“We left our home and…”
“Seeing it is different than experiencing it. I’ve seen a lot of videos and unfortunately today I have to experience it and I feel like it’s something that really moves you,” Polanco told Spanish way out.
He added, “I feel very sad about this situation…Many Hispanics in the United States feel persecuted. We leave our homes and don’t know if we will ever come back.”
Relatives of detained crew members expressed concern:
“I feel very sad and despair for my husband… We are here to make progress, not to do bad things,” the wife of one detained worker told the media. She added that she was five months pregnant and had two children at home.
