Recently, a contractor friend of mine, who requested anonymity, had an experience that left me disappointed. He is a hardworking contractor, a proud American citizen and someone who’s built his business from the ground up. 

A few weeks ago, two of his employees accidentally got lost on I-96 in downtown Detroit and ended up on the Ambassador Bridge heading to Canada. Anyone familiar with that route knows once you’re on it, there’s no turning back. Unfortunately, both workers had overstayed their visas. Not ideal, but it’s important to note that they didn’t cross the border illegally. They came here the right way, through legal channels, and simply fell out of compliance with a complicated immigration system. 

They were arrested at the border and taken into custody. 

The contractor did what any responsible business owner would do: he went to retrieve his company truck. But when he arrived, the situation took a shocking turn. Despite showing his ID and documentation proving he owned the vehicle, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained him, too! They placed him in a holding cell with about 30 other people and took away his cell phone.  Leaving him with no way to call anyone or let his family know where he was. Two hours later, they released him and told him to return with notarized paperwork. 

When my friend came back with everything in order, they arrested him again! This time, they accused him of trying to impersonate himself.  

Let that sink in: A first-generation American citizen, with proper identification, treated as if he didn’t belong. All because of how he looked. He speaks perfect English and Spanish. 

In our industry, the Latino community makes up a larger percentage of the workforce. They are the backbone of many companies, families, and projects across the country. Stories like this shouldn’t happen! Not in our workplaces, not at our borders, and not in a nation built on opportunity. 

Trent Cotney and I will discuss this further in an upcoming conversation — not just about what happened, but also about what contractors can do to protect themselves, their businesses, and their employees in moments like this. 

Every person deserves to be treated with fairness and humanity, regardless of the circumstances. How are you training your people to handle situations like this? I’d love to hear from you. 

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