Posted at 04:35 AM ET, 07/29/2011

Arlandria rocked by raid, ICE responds

By Tom Jackman

Without warning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents jumped out of a van on Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria earlier this month, and snatched about a half-dozen men. The raid shocked the largely Hispanic neighborhood, also known as Chirilagua, and merchants told The Alexandria Times this week that the arrests have caused a panic that severely damaged their businesses.

Elena Flores, the mother of one of the arrested men, said her son was a painter with no criminal record. Her son, Herlin Flores, 31, and nephew, Erick Carbajal, 21, were both arrested and held in ICE custody. “My son was basically my support system for me and my daughter,â€