Tensions ran high in Brentwood on Tuesday as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters confronted what they believed to be federal immigration agents. The protests followed an earlier incident involving ICE agents at a nearby fire department facility, according to immigrant advocates.

The standoff began around 11 a.m. at a 7-Eleven gas station on Wicks Road, where members of the Brentwood community gathered after reports that immigration agents were in the area. Protesters later surrounded a silver sedan on Grove Street that they believed contained federal agents, leading to scenes marked by yelling, whistle-blowing and car horns.

Footage of the scene shows the crowd surrounding a silver sedan.

“This was the whole community coming together,” said Christian Aleman, one of the protesters who joined the demonstration.

Aleman said residents are increasingly fearful, claiming people are being targeted because of their appearance and arrested while going about their daily routines.

“Right now, I’m afraid to walk on the road because I know they’re going to arrest me,” Aleman said. “If I’m a citizen or not, they can arrest me, so people in Brentwood are very afraid of going out and walking.”

The protests followed an earlier confrontation at the Central Islip Fire Department facility on Wheeler Road. Ahmad Perez, an immigrant advocate with the group Islip Forward, said he was threatened with arrest by ICE agents while documenting their presence at the firehouse.

“After approaching the agents, I was threatened with arrest,” Perez said. “This is public infrastructure that they cannot access without prior authorization.”

During the encounter, Perez was told he was trespassing. Shortly after that incident, the fire department closed a gate restricting access to its facility. The gate has remained closed since.

The Central Islip Fire Department has not commented on the incident. Federal agents were also present at the same firehouse in December. At that time, fire commissioners stated they were not cooperating with ICE.

Suffolk County police responded to the protests in Brentwood to monitor the situation. Authorities said no one was injured and no arrests were made.

ICE has not yet commented on either the firehouse incident or the protests. News 12 has reached out to the agency and is awaiting a response.