Immokalee family says pictures show ICE agents outside home

Reporter: Dannielle Garcia Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Angel’s family shared a picture he took of what he believes is an ICE agent outside his family’s home in Immokalee Monday morning. Credit: Photo via WINK News.

Neighbors are scared, as word spreads that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is back in Southwest Florida in search of people without proper documentation to be in the country.

A family in Immokalee claims pictures they shared with us show an ICE agent outside their home in Immokalee moments before they knocked on their door Monday. And they were not the only neighbors who said federal agents showed up at their doorsteps today.

“I was inside my room. I was scared and very frightened,” said Angel, who asked for his full name to be kept anonymous. “We were like why us; why this place? Did someone give us this location or our address”

Angel said his family heard knocks at the door of their home early this morning. The teenager said he had a gut feeling it wasn’t a friendly knock. When he looked out the window, he said he saw two unmarked cars across the street and several agents, so he hid with his mother and sister while they stood outside for around 20 minutes.

Angel’s family shared a picture he took of what he believes are vehicles belonging to ICE agents outside his family’s home in Immokalee Monday morning. Credit: Photo via WINK News.

“We knew if we answered the door, without asking any questions, they would get arrested,” Angel said. “And me seeing my parents get arrested right in front of me would just destroy me.”

Others we spoke to are trying to keep to themselves out of fear for what might happen to themselves or their family.

“In the morning when I left my house to go to work, I saw a car parked over on the side of the street,” Carmelo Lopez Perez said. “But I didn’t see more because it was dark, and I continued on to the store.”

Perez said he wasn’t home when ICE agents were in his neighborhood. But a couple of weeks ago, he hid inside when several agents knocked on his door, something he and others fear is becoming normal in Immokalee.

“I didn’t open my doors. I looked through the window and didn’t open,” Lopez said. “There’s people that have families. And if they take them, those that have kids, they’ll be taken without their kids.”

Angel’s mother told us no one inside the house has an order of deportation, so she doesn’t know why agents continue to target her home.

We also spoke to an immigration attorney in Collier County who said ICE agents were looking for specific people without documents.

But ICE will not confirm its agents were present in Immokalee — let alone whether agents detained anyone.

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