“They are legally here”: ICE detained one-third of his roofing crew — and the Florida boss who voted for Trump is still confused
Vincent Scardina, a roofing company owner in Florida’s Lower Keys, supported Donald Trump at the ballot box largely because of the former president’s hardline stance on immigration. But that decision now feels deeply personal after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained six of his workers—one-third of his entire workforce—on May 27.
The six men, all originally from Nicaragua, were pulled over in a work truck while en route to a job site. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies assisted in transporting them to a local detention center “for deportation.”
Scardina, visibly shaken, told NBC6 that he never anticipated this outcome. “It’s quite a shock. You get to know these guys, you become their friends—not just an employer but a friend,” he said.
Making the situation more frustrating, the men had valid work permits and pending asylum applications, said their attorney Regilucia Smith. “They are legally here,” she explained. “Valid work permit, not even close to expired… again, no criminal records—not here, not in Nicaragua.”
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The raid was part of a wider ICE operation that reportedly followed instructions from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. According to The Wall Street Journal, Miller had advised immigration officials to target anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.
Nationwide, these directives sparked chaos. A sweep at a Home Depot in a predominantly Latino neighborhood of Los Angeles ignited large-scale protests. The backlash became so volatile that President Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard—over the objections of California’s local leadership.
Back in Florida, Scardina is dealing with the fallout in very real terms. Though still a Trump supporter in many respects, he now questions the human cost of the immigration crackdown. “Buyer’s remorse? I don’t know, a little bit,” he admitted.
The detained workers made up a critical portion of his small team, and replacing them in a tight labor market like Key West isn’t simple. “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,” Scardina said.
To make matters worse, three of the detained workers have already been transferred to far-off detention centers in Texas and California. The remaining three are still in local custody, while their lawyer continues to fight for their release.
Note to our readers: This article is based on reporting by The Daily Beast, NBC6, and The Wall Street Journal. All quotes are reproduced verbatim from trusted and verified sources. We aim to maintain full editorial accuracy while preserving the original journalistic integrity.
