The Daily Beast reports roofing business owner Vincent Scardina supported Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration at the ballot box. But his support came back to bite him when ICE detained a third of his employees last month.
Immigration enforcement agents snagged six of his work crew, all from Nicaragua, while they were on their way to a job. Monroe County deputies helped transport the men to a local detention facility “for deportation,” and now Scardina’s Florida Keys roofing business is working to fill the holes.
“It’s quite a shock. You get to know these guys, you become their friends — not just an employer but a friend,” he told NBC6.
READ MORE: 'Embarrassing': Trump 'booed mercilessly' by Kennedy Center at 'Les Miserables' opening
Daily Beast reports ICE enforcers did not appear to care that the men had valid work permits and pending asylum applications, according to their attorney Regilucia Smith.
“They are legally here,” she said. “Valid work permit, not even close to expired … again, no criminal records — not here, not in Nicaragua.”
Scardina said it’s not easy to find new employees in a small community like lower Key West.
“We’re not able...to just replace people as easily as, say, a big city, [with] very limited people to pull from, and then you would have to train them, and that takes sometimes years,” said Scardina, adding that other area contractors have also been hit.
READ MORE: 'We are really in trouble': House GOP leader concerned about fate of under-the-radar bill
“I know of one landscaper that lost nine or 10 of his whole crew ... and he’s just totally out of business all of a sudden, just like that.”
“Buyer’s remorse?” he added. “I don’t know, a little bit.”
The Wall Street Journal reports ICE stepped up its nationwide raids to include more legal residents after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called on authorities to expand their search. Despite Trump’s vow to deport more immigrants than any other president, El Paso Matters reports former President Barack Obama removed 3 million non-citizens from the U.S. over two terms – more than any other president in American history, according to Department of Homeland Security data. El Paso Matters said President George Bush removed about 870,000 people; Bill Clinton, about 2 million; and Donald Trump about 1.2 million during his first term.
Time Magazine reports Trump has deported 207,000 people so far, which is “behind pace” for the administration’s targets.
READ MORE: 'True mask off moment': GOP lawmaker says some jobs shouldn't pay workers enough to live
Read the full Daily Beast report at this link.