45 Arrested On Immigration Charge In Anne Arundel

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Federal officials arrested 45 employees on illegal immigration charges Monday at a well-known local painting company that has touted its work on prominent buildings such as the Maryland State House and facilities at the U.S. Naval Academy.

All 45 people were arrested because of administrative immigration violations, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said. All of them will be placed in removal proceedings, the agency said.

The business, Annapolis Painting Services, did not immediately return calls or e-mails seeking comment. The company describes itself on its Web site as "one of the largest painting contractors in the region." The Web site includes photographs of employees working at the state capitol building and includes mention of work at the Naval Academy.

The search warrants were served at the business and 15 residences believed to be owned by it at about 6 a.m., said Anne Arundel County Police Chief James Teare.

"We believe that they were all associated with this painting company," Teare said outside the business, which is located near a popular shopping mall.

ICE, which described the arrests as part of ongoing investigations into workplaces that hire illegal immigrants, has been working on the case for 18 months, according to a statement released by the agency.

Scot R. Rittenberg, assistant special agent in charge for ICE in Baltimore, said the arrests involved 11 search warrants, five seizure warrants for bank accounts, 11 seizure warrants for vehicles and 15 forfeitable properties.

The arrested workers included foreign nationals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nigeria and Panama, ICE said in a statement.

Investigators could be seen towing vehicles and removing boxes from the business.

About 50 county police worked with 75 ICE officials on the investigation for several months, said Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. Leopold said the arrests should send a strong signal that the hiring of illegal immigrants won't be tolerated in Anne Arundel County.

"This is the most important signal to make that message known," Leopold said.

Meanwhile, civil rights and religious organizations scheduled a rally Tuesday to protest the arrests at ICE's main office in Baltimore by calling for an end to workplace raids.