DANBURY, Conn. (WFSB) - Downtown Danbury was unusually quiet Friday night, with few people out on Main Street after a week of stepped-up activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the city.ICE agents have taken more than 50 people into custody in Danbury over the past week, according to the report. Some residents appear to be avoiding public places after witnessing the activity firsthand.On Thursday, cameras captured ICE agents pulling 28-year-old Johnny Queda out of his truck and taking him into custody. His fiancée, Kimberly Rivas, said Queda is from Ecuador and has been in the U.S. for five years while trying to become a citizen. She said he is a construction worker who was on his way home from a project when he was pulled over.“It’s just so sad, I’m sorry. It’s just so sad because he had nothing criminal going on. He pays his taxes every year. He has a lawyer. He does everything right,” Rivas said.A store owner recorded video of ICE agents slamming a man into the front door of her shop.Mayor describes operations near schoolsDanbury Mayor Roberto Alves said ICE has had a presence in the city for two years, but said what has changed this week is the intensity of the operations.“It’s been here for two years. We’ve seen it, but what’s changed this week is the brutality, with the intention of instilling fear, dividing communities, and making sure they are as visible as possible,” Alves said.Alves said ICE conducted an operation Tuesday morning, the first day of school, in front of one of the city’s most populated elementary schools as children were getting off the school bus and parents were dropping them off.“They had an operation Tuesday morning on the first day of school. In front of one of our most populated elementary schools as kids were getting off the school bus and parents were dropping them off. This is all very intentional. They know exactly what they are doing,” Alves said.Alves said ICE knows it cannot conduct operations on school grounds, so agents have positioned themselves across the street, where they can be seen. He said ICE also has a strong presence outside daycare centers in the city.Alves said families are scared and are not sending their children to school. He came to the issue with personal experience: he was 5 years old and undocumented when his parents brought him to the U.S. from Brazil. He said what is happening now is cruel.Community leaders respondCity and state leaders came to Danbury this week to push back against ICE.Aurora Daly, with Danbury Unites for Immigrants, said the community wants to support its neighbors, even though it cannot stop ICE operations.“All we can do is watch what they do in Minneapolis, and we can keep people informed. We can let them know what their rights are. And we can inform them when we know ICE is present in the community,” Daly said.ICE has had a presence in Danbury for months, but residents say the activity has become more confrontational and aggressive. Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.