A Hispanic immigration advocacy group is suing Anne Arundel for allegedly not turning over files on a raid where 46 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested, though county officials say they have done nothing wrong.
CASA de Maryland filed a lawsuit in Montgomery Circuit Court, alleging the Anne Arundel police and County Executive John R. Leopold’s office violated the Maryland Public Information Act by not releasing documents or even giving a reason to withholding the information.
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The county had 30 days to reply once it received the request per open records law. CASA said more than six weeks have passed since the county received the request with no reply or acknowledgment of the request.
“We told them that [state law] provides a timetable for response, and they didn’t respond at all, so we felt forced to resort to judicial intervention,” said Justin Cox, CASA’s civil rights expert.
On June 30, county police and federal agents raided the Annapolis Painting Service Company and several houses owned by the company’s operator. Dozens of arrests were made, and many detainees were deported, federal officials have said.
CASA is questioning the tactics used by county police and federal agents.
“The raids have resulted in widespread allegations of grave constitutional rights violations by the law enforcement officers involved, including entering homes without warrants … interrogating individuals without reasonable suspicion of unlawful immigration status [and] engaging in racial profiling,” according to the lawsuit.
Some of those arrested had no connection with the paint company, but were residents of the houses that were raided and were in the country illegally.
But county officials deny any wrong doing, and said their response to CASA was in the mail Wednesday.
“ … Leopold is a strong supporter of transparent government,” said Jonathan Hodgson, the county attorney, who had not seen the lawsuit when contacted Wednesday by The Examiner.
“We are not in violation of the act … and we responded within the scope of the law,” he said.
Hodgson said the county’s reply was ready this past week, but officials had to make sure what was released did not hinder the investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the federal agency that made the arrests.
He said there is an “open and ongoing federal criminal investigation,” and the state open records law gives allowances for such situations.
But Cox said even if CASA received the documents today, Anne Arundel would still be in violation.
He said other agencies involved, including Baltimore City Police, have at least replied, saying they are reviewing the request and retrieving records.
Cox said three of the 15 houses raided were done without warrants, and legal residents were arrested during the raids, though released before others were sent to detention centers.
“Leopold has refused to answer any questions about the tactics used, and the police have said they were not going to comment,” he said.
Hodgson said he could not comment on the allegations listed in the lawsuit, as he had yet to read it.
Leopold has been a strong advocate against illegal immigration.
He has placed a county police officer at ICE’s office in Baltimore City. He also has made it easier to reported suspected illegal immigrants arrested in Anne Arundel to ICE, as well as mandated nonprofits receiving county grant funding to help only legal immigrants.
CASA does not receive funding from Anne Arundel, but a Hispanic group in Annapolis has returned funding because of Leopold’s stipulation.
