At least eight people were arrested Monday during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in New Bedford, Mass., including at least four fish house workers.

Adrian Ventura, executive director of Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, provided the arrest estimate during a meeting organized to connect affected families with available resources.

According to The New Bedford Light, ICE agents were observed making an arrest along MacArthur Drive near several fish houses Monday morning. Additional agents and vehicles were spotted at the Dartmouth Mall, where they appeared to be staging operations before heading toward New Bedford.

The operation raised concerns among immigrant workers and their families in one of the nation's largest commercial fishing ports. Community organizations issued warnings in multiple languages advising residents of ICE activity, while local businesses reported declining sales as workers and customers stayed home.

New Bedford officials said they had not been notified of the operation in advance. ICE had not responded to The Light's request for comment at the time of publication.

Immigration attorneys in Massachusetts are preparing to challenge the detentions, with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute reporting that 20 attorneys were on standby to file habeas corpus petitions on behalf of those arrested.