Michigan landscaping company demanding answers after 6 workers stopped by ICE agents
Six employees of GLC Property Maintenance in Highland Township, Michigan, were stopped by nine U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles on their way to work Thursday morning, in what the landscaping company's owner believes was a targeted raid.
The company says all six employees are legally working in the U.S. on H-2B visas. Video taken by one of the workers and obtained by CBS News Detroit shows the encounter with federal agents.
"In the meantime, give me the phone, put the phone down," an ICE agent said in the video.
Eventually, the agents let the workers go after reviewing their official paperwork, but the landscaping company says it is now frustrated and trying to figure out why it was stopped in the first place.
Tyler Ralko, whose parents started the company 25 years ago, posted a TikTok on Friday that has received hundreds of thousands of views, in which he describes what happened and what he's doing to support the employees.
"They're some of the hardest working people I've ever met. They pay their taxes like anybody else," Ralko told CBS Detroit.
He has since contacted an immigration attorney and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin's office.
"Senator Slotkin's office has been super helpful today. We'll see if that leads to anything, but I just think our employees deserve, you know, some clarity on why they deserved that," said Ralko.
Ralko says he also reached out to ICE about why they would stop the workers, but he says he hasn't heard back. CBS News Detroit reached out to ICE and has not received a response.
"I think if you're going to ask people to do things the right way, then when they do them the right way, they shouldn't be treated disrespectfully. Anybody should be treated respectfully," Ralko said.
Ralko also tells CBS News Detroit that other landscaping businesses in the area have reached out to him, saying this story is a good reminder for all H-2B visa employees to keep their paperwork on hand at all times.
