Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested 60 illegal immigrants during a raid on a south Phoenix business Wednesday, the culmination of a four-month investigation.

Armed with a search warrant for 67 people - many accused of identity theft - Sheriff's deputies searched the premises of H.M.I. Contracting, Handyman Maintenance Incorporated, near 19th Avenue and Lower Buckeye.

The company was contracted to provide landscaping services for Maricopa County.

Lydia Guzman, a Latino activist, says she believes civil rights were violated.

"Many of them were not on the warrant that was issued, yet they were questioned for their status," Guzman said. "They were questioned to produce identification. I believe they were questioned because of the color of their skin or their accents.

Guzman said Sheriff's deputies acted unprofessionally during the raid.

"Some of [the workers] were actually physically assaulted, they were pushed. Others experienced verbal assaults by the Sheriff's deputies.

"We're talking about landscapers, we're not talking about terrorists. Going in there with masks and guns the way that he did is something out of the ordinary; it's something that shouldn't take place in a country like ours. This is something like Al Qaida."

Sheriff Joe Arpaio responded to Guzman's allegations at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

"We have no information about violence," Arpaio said. "You're always talking about the same demonstrators, the same critics [who] show up every time we do this, with their same false allegations.

"When you go into a premise with 109 people, and you know you have 67 criminals - felons, class four felons [who] cannot even make bond, they have to stay in jail - I think I'm going to make sure our deputies are protected, and the people inside the premises are protected."

Sheriff Arpaio cited the economy in talking about the importance of enforcing immigration laws.

"People are being laid off," Arpaio said. "They need to find jobs to raise their families. And here we have the county, paying $19 an hour through this company to pay illegals to do jobs around county facilites. That's not right. It's taking jobs away from U.S. citizens."

Adrian Lopez has worked for the company for eight years. He said deputies moved in and told employees not to use cell phones before dozens of co-workers were taken away in cuffs. "Nothing happened before. This is the first time."

The company has a multi-million dollar contract approved by the Board of Supervisors to provide landscaping services to several county buildings.

The raid came two days after the supervisors huddled to discuss the sheriff's decision to put all illegal immigrant inmates in a special area at the Tent City Jail. One supervisor, Mary Rose Wilcox, has called for a U.S. Justice Department investigation of that action.

Immigrants rights activist Elias Bermudez said Wednesday's raid was "payback" for the supervisors' questioning the sheriff's jail segregation.

"It's payback. He uses his authority for reprisals. This is what he does with his power, his authority," said Bermudez.

He added, "To us, it is not only painful. It angers us. He's committing violence against us. Does he want us to commit violence against him, is that what he's asking for? "