A wave of anxiety is moving through Long Island's immigrant neighborhoods. Immigration enforcement fears are spiking again in the region after officers in immigration vests flooded a street in Nassau County.
For residents nearby, the operation played out in plain view. Neighbors say they watched it all unfold, with one describing three men holding one man on the floor, pulling his legs and going through his pocket.
The scene was tied to a specific place and time. It happened on East Seaman Avenue in Freeport early Thursday morning.
Part of what happened was captured on camera. A group called Islip Forward released video, and in it you can see agents forcing a man to the ground.
The footage was not the only record of arrests that day. Photos show two more men getting taken into custody.
Advocates framed the operation as part of a broader and alarming pattern. One said the area is seeing a large presence of masked, unidentified, armed agents in residential streets taking individuals into custody, and for people who live in these communities, it is spreading fear.
The advocate, identified as Perez, said the activity was not limited to Freeport. He said people sent his organization videos of agents in Hempstead on Tuesday and in Roosevelt on Wednesday, and News 12 reached out to Homeland Security and Freeport Village for comment.