Some 70 workers, members of the Local 32 BJ union, met outside the Montgomery County Courthouse, in Norristown (PA) to denounce the tactics used by the ICE in a raid that took place last July 31 at ABM a cleaning company, in which 50 workers were detained among them 20 undocumented individuals.

“These types of raids are really nothing more than malicious and counterproductive,” said Kate Ferranti, spokesperson for the union.

She believes that it is evident that the company and ICE reached an agreement where the workers were mislead into the company’s headquarters only to be apprehended so as to clear the company of any violation to the law for the hiring of undocumented individuals.

Tony Mitchell, spokesperson for American Building Maintenance, in King of Prussia (PA), denied that this is the case and stated that ICE informed the company that some of its workers had provided false documents.  He indicated that what ABM did was to adhere to the law and allow ICE to do their investigation.

“Our policy is to fully comply with the law,” Mitchell said.

Those affected, single mothers for the most part, were detained for five hours at the company and then released with a security bracelet in order to monitor their whereabouts until the day of the hearing, set for August 26 at an immigration court in Philadelphia.

“They arranged for us to meet at a company office where we were forced to go or face termination”, said Lucía Varillas from Puebla, México, who had been living and working in the region for four years.

“They are cowards”, she said.  According to the worker, her supervisor, Robert Harrison, picked her and other employees in a company vehicle.

Mitchell denied this version and suggested that all questions regarding the raid be directed to ICE.

At the closing of this edition, ICE officials did not return AL DIA’s phone calls.

“I don’t know what they are thinking, what do they want us to do, we have no money for food or rent and, to top it all off, no one lets us work because of the bracelets”, complained Margarita Varillas, also from central México.