County contractor fires suspected illegal immigrants (The Capitol)

County contractor fires suspected illegal immigrants
By ALLISON BOURG, Staff Writer
Published 10/15/10

A Baltimore-based county contractor fired six workers suspected of being illegal immigrants after a resident tipped off County Executive John R. Leopold's office.

Leopold said M Luis Construction Co., Inc., one of three contractors with county road resurfacing contracts, cooperated with the police department after determining that some workers had "potentially fraudulent" documentation.

After someone tipped off the county, police contacted M Luis and assisted in a review of its documents. Police determined that six workers submitted questionable paperwork as proof of legal status.

The six workers were fired and referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The workers are not currently in custody.

Leopold signed an executive order in 2007 that prohibits businesses that employ illegal immigrants from doing business with the county. A police department detective has also been assigned to ICE to improve information flow between local and federal officers.

Illegal immigration has emerged as an issue in county elections, with several county council candidates promising to crack down on the number of illegal immigrants in the county. Leopold has also accused his Democratic opponent, Joanna Conti, of being soft on illegal immigration.

Last spring, federal immigration officers raided Timbuktu Restaurant and Lounge and the Red Parrot Asian Bistro, both in Hanover, arresting several dozen undocumented workers.