Some residents of an apartment complex in Fairfax County, Virginia, say they're alarmed and frightened after waking up to loud door knocks from federal agents before sunrise on Sunday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers went to the Beacon Hill Apartments on Richmond Highway.
One man who lives there said agents woke him up about 6:15 a.m.
"I woke up to very loud, what I would categorize as aggressive, knocks at my door. I approached the door, but before opening it I asked who it was. I heard in response that it was the police. I asked if they had a warrant. They indicated they did," the man told News4. He did not want to be named.
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The man said he opened the door after the officers gave him a Hispanic name he didn't recognize.
"I fully expected to see Fairfax County police at the door. Instead, I saw a group of men. It was at least four, but I think it was more, decked out in what I would describe as, like, tactical gear," he said.
Doorbell surveillance video, which another resident provided to News4, shows four officers all wearing vests saying "police" and "ERO" — which stands for Enforcement and Removal Operations.
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One officer can be seen standing right outside the door, knocking and shining a flashlight. Meanwhile, the three other officers are seen on the stairwell behind him, and, at times, walking around to other areas of the building.
"They were knocking very hard on the door. They were trying to force it open. They kept trying to turn the handle and kept pushing hard against the door," another Beacon Hill Apartments resident told News4's partner station, Telemundo 44, in Spanish. She asked us to not identify her.
The woman said the incident was so frightening to her 10-year-old daughter that she cried and asked to stay home from school Monday.
"She’s afraid that when she comes home from school, I'll be gone," the woman said.
Residents who spoke with News4 said they didn’t believe the agents detained anyone.
ICE agents across the country arrested more than 1,170 people Sunday, according to data obtained by NBC News.
In Sept. 2024, the latest month for which data is available, ICE arrested roughly 282 migrants per day.
Officers have arrested more than 2,600 people since President Donald Trump's inauguration last Monday.
The apartment resident who News4 spoke with said he was upset everyone was subjected to the predawn door knocks.
"I asked them, 'Hey, if you have a warrant, it’s for a specific apartment. Are you knocking on everyone’s door?' I kind of reiterated some of the concerns," he said. "The individual who seemed to be in charge threatened to lock me up — asked me if I wanted to be locked up; that would be more accurate."
Social media posts from the Trump administration show photos of nine people suspected of various crimes whom ICE arrested.
"Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE agents are working tirelessly to protect our communities. From child rapists to suspected ISIS terrorists, here are some of the worst," the White House Instagram caption reads.
News4 has reached out to ICE for more information about why the agency went to the Beacon Hill Apartments and whom they were looking for. We haven't yet received a response.
In August at the Beacon Hill complex, a mother and her partner were arrested on child abuse charges after officers found two little boys chained up inside an apartment.
The woman's defense attorney said in court Friday that the woman had immigration issues, but it's unclear whether ICE was at the apartment building looking for her or her partner. The couple is out on bond as they await upcoming court hearings.