Union representatives and employees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport took to the podium at a Metropolitan Airports Commission meeting Tuesday, saying fears are growing over Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of immigrants with paperwork to work in the country legally.

"I'm a citizen and I'm very scared to be here," said Feben Ghilagaber, who has worked at the airport as a server for more than 20 years.

She read off the names of 12 people who she says have been arrested by ICE. Only two of them have been released, she said. 

One of the people taken was a mother of three who was arrested in front of her son, Ghilagaber said. 

"Her son, who's 9 years old, was crying and they did not even ask for her documentation, and she was taken away," she said. 

Ghilagaber says the mother was released, but not until five days later, when her documents were apprehended by agents.

Union members on Tuesday demanded the commission keep immigrant workers safe. 

"These are incredibly trying times," said Patti Gartland, the acting chair of the commission. 

She said that while safety and security are critical, the commission's hands are tied since it's a public airport, which is subject to federal regulation. 

"The MAC cannot legally restrict access to MSP for public or private aircraft operations," Gartland said. 

Ghilagaber said the commissioners' statements made her even more scared. But she's holding on to hope for a light at the end of the tunnel. 

"This is becoming very scary, and especially scared to come to work, especially scared to get up in the morning," said Ghilagaber