Neighborhood on edge after catching ICE raid in Durham on video: 'It's insane'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A north Durham neighborhood is on edge after a targeted operation from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) happened in the middle of their neighborhood in broad daylight.

"We were all shaken up, we couldn't believe what we had just seen," Alisa Cullison said.

A normal Thursday morning quickly turned upside down.

"It's insane to watch your neighbors get plucked out of thin air during the middle of the day that's not normal," said neighbor Emily Ingebretsen.

Cullison was out walking her dog near Farthing and Delafield in north Durham when she saw some trucks on her street and knew something was off.

"Driving around, lingering, stopping in front of certain houses, stopping, turning around, making another loop and I'd never seen this car before," she said.

Then a few hours later Cullison's neighbor, Ingebretsen saw about a dozen men in masks and tactical gear swarm a car, then a house, and take three of their neighbors into custody.

Neighbors recorded video of the ordeal and can be heard asking agents whether they had a signed warrant. Ingebretsen said they didn't identify themselves but she saw an ICE badge.

"I asked him 'Why are you wearing a mask?' it's your face and he said if you were doing something In your community you might want to cover your face too," she said.

They reported what happened to the group Siembra NC an immigrant advocacy group that teaches people how to respond to federal agents.

ALSO SEE: Suspected Venezuelan gang member wanted in Chicago mass shooting arrested in Raleigh, ICE says

Siembra NC said the family of the three men, who are from India, confirmed to them it was an ICE raid.

The group said it often gets false alarm calls - like just a few weeks ago right around the corner in Durham, a fake ICE truck struck fear into a Hispanic neighborhood near Compare Foods on Alston Avenue.

The group said in this case, the neighbors did the right thing by recording the video.

"They stopped their work day, chose to show up for their neighbors they called the hotline, and they were able to record and serve as a witness to what was happening," said Kelly Morales with Siembra NC.

The group said it teaches people to always ask for a judicial warrant, and for neighbors to look out for each other in uncertain times.

"I don't think that they're counting on us banding together and fighting back, we're not going to be intimated by this," Morales said.

On the phone, Durham Mayor Leo Williams said he was not made aware of the raid until he was notified by ABC11, and that he was looking into what happened.

ALSO SEE: Trump administration begins mass layoffs across multiple federal agencies: Sources

Siembra NC said that typically people detained by ICE are taken to an immigration facility where they can then face an immigration judge.

In the meantime, Siembra NC said it's continuing its training across the state of what they call ICE watch verifiers. It has a training coming up in Durham.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an updated statement to ABC11 on Friday to clarify the number of detentions made.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a targeted enforcement operation in Durham, NC, yesterday, resulting in the arrest of 11 individuals identified as illegal aliens. The 11 individuals are currently being held at a federal detention facility pending deportation hearings," a spokesperson said.

Thursday's ICE operation was conducted by the Office of Field Operations, one of three components of the agency.