More than a dozen day laborers detained in ICE raid outside Pomona Home Depot, witnesses say POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- A morning trip to work turned into a nightmare for a group of day laborers in Pomona. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents swept through a Home Depot parking lot, detaining more than a dozen people. The raid has prompted backlash from immigrant rights groups. One of the day laborers, Carlos, narrowly avoided being caught. Speaking through an interpreter, he described the emotional toll. "I arrived here, and when I started seeing the scene, I started crying. The tears started leaving," Carlos said. "We are here. We are human beings. We're only here to support ourselves and maintain our families." According to Carlos and other witnesses, the raid unfolded around 8 a.m. Tuesday. ICE agents arrived in both marked and unmarked vehicles, rounding up workers from the parking lot. "They took 15 to 20 day laborers who were only here asking for work, only asking for work," said Alexis Teodoro, the workers' rights director of Pomona Economic Opportunity Center. "It is unjust, it is immortal, and it should be a crime." The raid sparked swift backlash. Local immigrant rights groups, including the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and the National Day Labor Organizing Network, organized an emergency press conference and rally, calling for calm and urging the undocumented community to know their rights. "We know that these types of operations intend to intimidate people who are looking for an honest day's work, not to come to the day labor coroners," said Pablo Alvarado with the National Day Labor Organizing Network. "If you are detained, you can exercise your rights," said Jessica Batnsal, an attorney with the National Day Labor Organizing Network. "You can refuse to answer questions, and you can ask to speak to an attorney." Eyewitness News reached out to ICE for comment. The agency issued the following statement: "Due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are not able to research and respond to rumors or specifics of routine daily operations for ICE." Eyewitness News also reached out to Home Depot for a comment regarding accusations about its involvement in the raid by organizers. A spokesperson with Home Depot directed our inquiries to the authorities and said its operations are independent of law enforcement. Advocates for undocumented workers urge family members of workers rounded up in the raid to contact their organization for help at 909-361-4588.