Tensions were high Thursday morning in Trenton's Chambersburg neighborhood as ICE agents surrounded a home in an attempt to detain a man without a warrant, sparking a standoff that lasted nearly five hours and drew emotional protests from the local community.

According to Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, ICE agents arrived around 7 a.m. in unmarked vehicles with blacked-out windows. They attempted to detain a man but failed to produce a judicial warrant. When the man fled into his home, the standoff began.

"Trenton Police are here just strictly to keep the peace in the neighborhood," Gusciora told CBS News Philadelphia. "We're not here to assist ICE. Shame on ICE for not having the warrant to begin with."

Outside the home, dozens of neighbors, including members of a local "rapid response team," gathered behind police tape, demanding transparency and accountability.

Ana Puello, a resident of Chambersburg for more than a decade, said the neighborhood is home to families from Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and beyond.

"They don't have the paperwork," Puello said of ICE. 

"This is a sanctuary community," she said about the neighborhood.

Pastor Erich Kussman, of St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church, said he knows the family well. The man ICE was seeking is a day laborer. His wife works at a cleaning company. They have five children, ranging in age from 1 to 10.

"There's a whole family inside," Kussman said. He added, "We welcome Jesus when we welcome the people that are immigrants in our neighborhood."

The agents wearing vests marked "POLICE U.S. BORDER PATROL" and "POLICE HSI" (Homeland Security Investigations) remained outside the home until about 11:45 a.m., eventually leaving without making an arrest.

"ICE should be acting responsible. They should have a warrant, they should tell us when they're here, and they should tell us the reasons why they're picking up the person. Again, if it's a gang member or somebody who's in a drug cartel, we'll support that," Gusciora said.

One protester was briefly arrested for crossing police tape but was later released.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat from New Jersey, condemned the operation.

"To come and to be masked, to not identify yourself, to not show your badge, that's something that you see in other countries. You don't see that in the United States of America. It's very un-American," Coleman said.

In a statement, Trenton Police emphasized their limited role in the situation: "We are not involved in the ICE action nor are we assisting them. We are only there to maintain safety and respond if necessary."

The community, though relieved the standoff ended without violence, remains shaken. 

"They are not in fear," Puello said. "They are very angry."

CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to ICE for more details on the operation but has yet to receive a response.