At least 50 taken into ICE custody in Danbury, Conn., this week, advocates say

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending operations they are conducting this week in Danbury, Connecticut, as some residents say they feel uneasy at what they are seeing on the streets.

Maria Rivera heard about ICE agents taking people into custody outside her Botanica store in Danbury, then she saw the video from her surveillance camera. The agent appears to slam a man against the door of her shop while telling him to put his hands behind his back.

Other images and videos show immigration agents forcefully detaining men on the street.

"We're human beings, we're not animals," Rivera said.

Across from City Hall, a construction worker identified as 26-year-old Jhonny Ojeda from Ecuador was arrested.

"It's just so sad because he had nothing criminal going on," said Ojeda's fiancée, Kim Rivas. "He pays his taxes every year. He has a lawyer. He does everything right."

ICE teams have been in Danbury since Monday. Blogger Alfonso Robinson has been documenting the activity for Hat City Blog.

"There was no warrants at all. They just came up and just grabbed people off the street," he said. "It was like four day laborers that I saw personally."

Advocates for immigrants count at least 50 people taken into custody this week.

ICE is within the Department of Homeland Security, which said, "DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in Connecticut."

DHS also provided a list of five undocumented immigrants charged with serious crimes in Connecticut, but did not indicate when or where they were arrested.

In a city with many foreign-born residents, the enforcement has an impact.

"Our business is going down. The customers are calling, [asking,] 'Is ICE around?'" Rivera said. "Nobody should be in fear."

ICE said for operational security and officer safety, it would not disclose further details about the enforcement activity.