A Florida small business owner who supported President Donald Trump now says he feels “a little buyer’s remorse” after federal immigration agents detained a third of his roofing crew.
Workers Detained on the Way to Job Site
Vincent Scardina, who runs a roofing company in the Lower Keys, said six of his workers were on their way to a job in Sugarloaf Key on May 27 when they were stopped by immigration authorities, according to NBC6 Miami.
According to a report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were asked to help transport some of the workers to a detention facility “for deportation.”
Attorney: Workers Had Legal Documents
“They are legally here. They have an authorization to stay,” said Regilucia Smith, the workers’ immigration attorney.
Smith added that five of the six men had valid work permits and pending asylum cases.
“Valid work permit, not even close to be expired,… again, no criminal records, not here, not in Nicaragua.”
Co-Worker Says Stop Was Racially Motivated
Co-worker Virgil Scardina said it was clear why the group was stopped.
“It was pretty obvious from the beginning that they were pulled over simply because they were six Latino men in a work truck,” he said.
Small Business Faces Big Impact
The impact on the small business was immediate and severe.
“It’s going to be really hard to replace those guys,” said Vincent Scardina.
“We’re not able in Key West to just replace people as easily as, say, a big city… that takes sometimes years.”
Support for Trump Wavers After Detentions
Scardina, who still agrees with many of Trump’s policies, said he believed the focus would be on deporting criminals, not law-abiding workers.
“What happened here? This situation is just totally, just blatantly not at all what they said it was,” he said.
“I know of one landscaper that lost nine or 10 of his whole crew… he’s just totally out of business all of a sudden, just like that.”
Emotional Toll Beyond the Bottom Line
His co-worker added that the toll is more than financial.
“Our business is struggling. You know, make no mistake. This has the potential to cause us some significant problems,” said Virgil Scardina.
“But I still get to go home and give my child a hug at night. These guys do not, and they don’t deserve that.”
Legal Battle Underway for Detained Workers
Attorney Smith said three of the six men have already been transferred to detention centers in Texas and California.
She has filed a motion requesting their release on bond.
NBC6 has contacted ICE for comment but has not received a full response.
For now, the roofing company is left short-staffed, and the community is left with more questions than answers.
The case has sparked discussion about how immigration laws are being enforced and how it affects small businesses that rely on immigrant workers to stay afloat.
Scardina and others hope public pressure will result in the release of the workers and a reassessment of how immigration law is being enforced.