Editor’s note: With immigration and deportation being especially relevant to Floridians, The Naples Press is introducing a new feature to look into this subject and bring a balanced view to these often misunderstood issues. Updates on legal matters, community opinion — sometimes anonymous voices — and the effects on our economy will all be looked at through the lens of immigration. You can’t go a day without hearing about the issues of immigration and deportation in the United States. This is especially relevant in Southwest Florida, where many communities depend to some degree on the labor of foreign workers to maintain their efficiency. Members of the public may be left wondering how abrupt workforce changes will affect their lifestyle, property and community. Construction, landscaping, agricultural cultivation and other industries thrive in Southwest Florida with the aid of foreign workers, many of whom are from south of our border — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in certain industries, up to 40% of labor is supplied by men and women of Hispanic origins. To learn more about these workers, we turned to activist and educator Sigfredo Hernandez, who has been present at recent ICE raids in Lee County. “There have been some raids in Bonita Springs recently,” Hernandez said. “Unlike what some people are told, the majority of detainees taken by ICE have been in the United States for more than 20 years. They have lived this time with no criminal activity and have no criminal record.” Hernandez works to clarify misinformation so the public can be informed about activity in their neighborhoods. “Saying they are going after the worst of the worst is a ruse,” he explained. “This is not true. These are just people trying to work.” July saw several raids in Bonita Springs, and residents of multiple backgrounds were surprised by the events and wondered about the effect on the local economy. Six people were reportedly removed and eventually detained from a laundromat on Old 41 and a number of men living at a group home were removed in the early morning hours. “That Bridgeport and Rosemary raid, it was a group home of day laborers,” Hernandez said. “ICE came at 6 a.m. when they knew guys would be going to work sites.” One man in the neighborhood, who prefers to remain anonymous, said, “They took a friend of mine. Everyone is scared. Some people try to be on the lookout to spread the word if another raid is coming.” Several locations throughout Southwest Florida serve as “meeting spots” in the early morning, as men gather hoping to be selected for day work, matched with the companies that bring trucks in each day hoping for workers. Hernandez reflected on those taken in the recent Rosemary raid: “I don’t know of many criminals who get up at 6 in the morning to try and go to work.” Hernandez and others know the issue is not going away any time soon. Public opinion on the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center reflects the conflict and the need for a...