Six Guatemalan roofers detained by ICE at Maryland job site; wage-dispute and tip claims disputed
Apr 2, 2026·Location: Cambridge, MD
Country of origin: Guatemala

ICE agents detained six Guatemalan workers, ages 18-40, while they were doing roofing and remodeling work at a home in Cambridge, Maryland, after traveling from Glen Burnie for the job. Coworker Bryan Polanco, a Dominican national with permanent residency who was not detained, livestreamed about 30 minutes of the arrest, saying agents were "hurting working people — people who do good for the country," and in a driveway confrontation told the homeowner, a self-described retired Marine, "You don't have to have hate in your heart... Live for them. Spread love." The wife of one detained worker, five months pregnant and caring for two children, said, "I feel so sad, desperate for my husband... we are here to move forward, not to do harm." Online claims alleged homeowner Karen Trevino called ICE to avoid paying roughly $10,000 owed for the job and was later arrested and charged, but Maryland court records showed no evidence of arrest or charges against Trevino or her father, and both ICE and Trevino denied anyone at the property contacted immigration authorities; Trevino said she received threats afterward, and Cambridge police said they would maintain increased presence near the home. ICE separately told reporters the arrests resulted from a targeted enforcement operation rather than a tip, claiming several of the men had prior removal orders and one had a prior reentry conviction, and that the workers resisted and attempted to flee before being detained. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident, and the crew's work van was left unsecured at the property after the men were taken.
Timeline
Sources
- Newsweek
- ICE Detains Workers in Massachusetts After Alleged Call by Employer
mundonow.com·Mar 27, 2026·archived copy
- [Cambridge, MD: The response of a worker after a ICE is called on his crew You don't have to have hate in your heart,"
eyesonice.substack.com·Mar 26, 2026·archived copy
- A Maryland Homeowner Is Accused of Calling — And Aiding — ICE To Detain Workers Fixing Her Roof. Now a Legal Expert Says She May Have Committed a Felony
uk.news.yahoo.com·Mar 26, 2026·archived copy
- snopes.com
- Yahoo News
- urallnews.com
- fastcompany.com
- totalnews.com
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