United States Customs and Border Protection, along with other agents with the Department of Homeland Security, took dozens of people into custody at a warehouse in New Jersey on Wednesday.

Video from Chopper 2 shows people being loaded onto vans in Woodbridge Township, all of them with their hands behind their backs.

"Kids are going to come home today to an empty house"

Labor and immigration activists protested at the warehouse as federal agents took workers into custody.

"We're going to have parents who don't make it home for Halloween, for Thanksgiving, for Christmas. Kids are gonna come home from school today to an empty house," said Amanda Dominguez, with New Labor.

Sandra Suero said her 18-year-old son, Jhonatan Bello Cabrera, was among those taken into custody.

"He has a work permit. He's in process right now for immigration," said Richard Suero, Sandra Suero's husband and Cabrera's stepfather. "I'm a citizen of the United States. Never seen something like this."

Sandra Suero said her son came to the U.S. from Colombia four years ago and was a student at Dwyer Technology Academy in Elizabeth.

As she was speaking to CBS News New York, he called his mother to say he was at Newark's detention center.

30-50 people taken into custody, activists say

According to activists, the majority of those taken away were packers at Savino Del Bene, an international shipping company.

"Approximately, they told us, 200 people work here, and out of 200 people, so far between 30 to 50 people [were detained]," community activist Carlos Castaneea said.

CBS News New York reached out to DHS about the operation that involved CBP but has not heard back. CBS News New York also reached out to Savino Del Bene but has not gotten a response.

"They go to these bonded warehouses, which means they already have a contract with Customs and Border Patrol to usually just check on the products, but now they are holding the door open for their ICE counterparts and allowing them come in without a judicial warrant," Dominguez said.

Trucker Mustafa Jebb said he showed up find out he couldn't be loaded, losing a day of work.

"I am an immigrant myself. Been here more than 20 years, been a citizen, but I sympathize with these people. I don't think there is a right way or wrong way to immigrate," he said.