**Updated** Suspected illegal immigrants arrested in raid (KTAR-AZ)

**UPDATE**
60 arrested in immigration raid
Deputies pursued Phoenix business after tip

by Maria Polletta and JJ Hensley - Feb. 12, 2009 12:00 AM

Deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office carried out a search warrant in a hunt for illegal immigrants at a Phoenix business Wednesday morning.

Dozens of sheriff's deputies arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and began questioning employees at Handyman Maintenance Inc., 2646 S. 19th Ave.

An employee's tip to the Sheriff's Office in November set the investigation into motion, said Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. Deputies were able to gather enough information for a judge to issue 67 warrants for employees suspected of identity theft and forgery.

Deputies arrested 40 of the employees named in the warrant on Wednesday, and another 20 who worked at the company and were suspected of being in the country illegally.

Arpaio said the company contracts with Maricopa County to perform landscaping work outside of county buildings.

County officials declined to comment Wednesday.

Martin Gutierrez, who has worked for Handyman Maintenance for about four years, said he had arrived late that morning and missed the initial entry of deputies.

But he said many of his co-workers had been intimidated by officers.

"They were yelling 'Be still, be still!' and pushing," he said in Spanish.

Gutierrez was cleared after showing officials documentation.

--Original Post--
Suspected illegal immigrants arrested in raid

February 11th, 2009 @ 9:59am

by Jim Cross/KTAR

Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies are cracking down on suspected illegal immigrants at a south Phoenix business contracted to provide landscaping services for the county.

Sheriff's deputies, armed with a search warrant, searched the premises of H.M.I. Contracting, Handyman Maintenance Incorporated, near 19th Avenue and Lower Buckeye.

Men and women of all ages were taken away in cuffs by sheriffs deputies put into vans.

The Sheriff's Office did not say how many people were arrested. Sheriff Joe Arpaio scheduled a 2:30 p.m. news conference to discuss the operation.

Adrian Lopez has worked for the company for eight years. He said deputies moved in and told employees not to use cell phones before dozens of co-workers were taken away in cuffs. "Nothing happened before. This is the first time."

This company has a multi-million dollar contract approved by the Board of Supervisors to provide landscaping services to several county buildings.

The raid came two days after the supervisors huddled to discuss the sheriff's decision to put all illegal immigrant inmates in a special area at the Tent City Jail. One supervisor, Mary Rose Wilcox, has called for a U.S. Justice Department investigation of that action.

Immigrants rights activist Elias Bermudez said Wednesday's raid was "payback" for the supervisors' questioning the sheriff's jail segregation.

"It's payback. He uses his authority for reprisals. This is what he does with his power, his authority," said Bermudez.

He added, "To us, it is not only painful. It angers us. He's committing violence against us. Does he want us to commit violence against him, is that what he's asking for?

The Sheriff's Office said H.M.I. is employing as many as 67 illegal immigrants suspected of identity theft.

Officials said the business has a multi-million dollar contract with the county.