WILTON MANORS, Fla. – A recent immigration raid at a jobsite in Wilton Manors turned into a confrontation with authorities.
Workers said federal agents pulled up to the site and identified themselves as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
They handcuffed one man but then came back.
6 p.m. report:
Witnesses said they started to ask everyone else for identification, which led to a second arrest and then a scuffle with the subcontractor.
“OK if you see any people (who look) like Spanish, they look straight right away, like we’re hiding something,” the subcontractor, who didn’t want to be identified, said.
Speaking to Local 10 News, he said tensions are high and he was giving legal advice to his workers.
He said he was pushed as he was trying to secure one of the employee’s cellphones as he was being taken away.
The general contractor then got a frantic call and was told to come out to the demolition site as well.
“I was taken aback. And the aggressiveness of one agent, I think was just over the top,” general contractor Jeb Schafer said.
Schafer said several agencies flooded the scene, along with local police, causing confusion.
With ramped-up enforcement taking place, business owners like Schafer are left wondering how to handle similar situations.
“Moving forward, there’s got to be some education out there for people like me,” he said. “How to protect myself, how to protect my people, you know, my subcontractors. to just make sure that they don’t get themselves in trouble.”
In a statement, Wilton Manors Police Department Chief Gary Blocker said his agency “does not initiate or coordinate federal immigration enforcement actions,” saying “ICE operates independently and determines when, where, and how to conduct its operations,” and that ICE decides whether it will notify local law enforcement.
Blocker also commented on the worksite incident, saying “our officers were called to the scene after ICE personnel encountered challenges gaining access to the individual they were seeking” and said officers, per “standard practice” responded to “identify what if any assistance was being requested of us.”
“We understand that incidents like these can cause concern in our community,” Blocker said. “Our focus as your police department will remain on local issues such as patrolling your neighborhoods, responding to calls for service, and investigating crimes when they occur. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.”
It’s still unclear exactly which agency had the confrontation with the subcontractor.