The Flatbush community is standing in solidarity with a woman who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month, claiming she was violently arrested.

On March 1, ICE agents stormed La Cabana restaurant on Flatbush Avenue and arrested Maria de los Angel Sanz Pimentel, 38. The mother of three from the Dominican Republic was about to start her work day when co-workers say agents stormed inside, attacked both Pimentel and other workers with pepper spray and handcuffed her before taking her away.

A spokesperson with ICE says the fugitive operations team discharged OC spray while attempting to arrest Pimentel, an illegally present Dominican national, after she resisted arrest.

According to records, Pimentel entered the country on a non-immigrant visa authorizing her to remain in the U.S. through September 2019, but has since stayed in the country. They say the NYPD arrested her in February, charging her with assault and harassment, but those charges are still pending.

Pimentel's family, elected officials and other community members say she deserves due process, and regardless of the case, they think ICE needs to be stopped.

In a statement, an ICE spokesperson told News 12, "During this enforcement action, ICE officers were within the scope of their law enforcement duties and acted with professionalism and respect to ensure the safety of all parties involved."