Tensions Mount As Day Laborers Face Arrest Threat

Similar controversies have divided communities throughout the country, including the Fairfax County town of Herndon, where voters this year ousted the mayor and two Town Council members who supported a day labor center. Some have called for a halt to the use of public funds in operating the center. Others want it moved, possibly to an industrial or commercial area. The council is expected to schedule a hearing on this issue this year.

In Gaithersburg, the proposal to open a site sparked the creation of the Maryland branch of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, an Arizona-based group that opposes illegal immigration. The Maryland Minutemen have periodically monitored the parking lot.

Stephen Schreiman, the Maryland chapter director, said yesterday that the group, which has about 100 members, would start a petition to recall city leaders if they open a center.

"I would hope that the city sees the writing on the wall and realizes that opening a day laborer center is an illegal activity, a violation of federal and state law," he said.

Yesterday morning, police officers watched quietly as clergymen and day laborers prayed and waved signs that read "To Work is Not a Crime" and "Dignity for All." The demonstrators had a brief news conference in the parking lot, and newspaper and television reporters, photographers and camera operators surrounded them.

"This is not fair. This is not justice," said David Rocha, pastor of Gaithersburg's Camino de Vida United Methodist Church and one of the day laborers' key leaders.

Isaias Hernandez, 36, a Gaithersburg resident who left his native Mexico 13 years ago, burst into tears as he told his story. "It makes me sad that we are treated this way," he said in Spanish. "I've been here for 14 years and believe me, I haven't done anything wrong."

Only one counter-demonstrator appeared, a man who carried an American flag and wore a National Rifle Association cap. He told reporters that his name was Jerry but would not give his last name. "I see all these illegals," he said. "It's not right. They broke our laws."

After a brief prayer vigil, the laborers and their supporters marched along Route 355 to City Hall to demand a meeting with the mayor or city manager.

Humpton complied. He sat across from Hernandez at a picnic table and heard his plea for a center. "I want you to know that the mayor and the overwhelming majority of the council supports a center," Humpton told the day laborers. "The question is where."