Federal and Anne Arundel County authorities detained 46 suspected illegal immigrants yesterday after raiding an Annapolis painting company and more than a dozen homes where its owner allegedly housed workers, a sweep that local officials touted as a "strong deterrent" for employers but which immigrant advocates say has devastated a community.
Acting on a tip, more than 120 officers, including 75 federal agents and 50 Anne Arundel police officers, participated in simultaneous early-morning raids on Annapolis Painting Services Inc. and 15 area homes, which police say were rented to employees by the company's owner.
Agents also seized five bank accounts, 11 vehicles and the homes as part of a criminal investigation into hiring and harboring illegal immigrants. The company's owners were not arrested, but authorities said the investigation was continuing.
FOR THE RECORD - An article in the July 1 Maryland section about an immigration raid on an Annapolis painting company incorrectly reported the date of a congressional measure that criminalized the hiring of illegal immigrants. The reform took effect in 1986.
THE SUN REGRETS THE ERROR
"By employing illegal immigrants, that is the magnet for people to come to this country," said Scot R. Rittenberg, assistant special agent in charge for the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore. "They will work for below minimum wage, they will work in poor conditions, and they will subject themselves to standards that are below what a lawfully-present person will subject them to. So one of our approaches is to get rid of that magnet."
Immigrant advocates denounced the arrests and said they plan to rally with concerned citizens and civil rights organizations in front of the Baltimore ICE office today, calling for an end to workplace raids.
"What we understand from our preliminary interviews with family members is that some parents have been taken in front of children and workers with legal status were detained," said Gustavo Torres, executive director of Casa de Maryland. "We believe this is a very clear discrimination just because of the color of our skin, because we are Latino, and we believe that is unacceptable."
Annapolis Painting Services owner Robert Bontempo Jr., 46, could not be reached for comment. According to the company web site, he started painting homes in the 1970s as a way to pay for college and transformed the business into one of the largest painting contractors in the region. Its projects have included work at the State House, the Naval Academy, and several high-profile area businesses.
