Madison County Courthouse

(File)

Updated at 9:42 a.m. to add a statement from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice will ask for the immediate release of about 40 recently arrested immigrants during a press conference this morning on the Madison County Courthouse steps.

The Coalition said it is seeking the release of the "Alabama 40," which includes immigrants who were detained this past weekend by federal Homeland Security Investigation officers in Huntsville, Decatur, Athens and Hartselle.

The arrested immigrants are being held in jails in DeKalb, Morgan and Madison counties awaiting transport to regional U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Louisiana and Ohio, the coalition said in a news release.

"The terrified families of the detainees do not wish to make public statements for fear of retaliation, and most are not willing to come forward for help," the Coalition said in a news release. "Among the arrested were people with no criminal record who were present for a sweep for the specifically targeted. One family reported that their home was broken into forcibly to make the illegal arrest, leaving behind a mother and her two children."

Thomas Byrd, a public affairs officer for ICE, said he couldn't provide specific details about the arrests. Due to privacy considerations, ICE typically doesn't release the names of those arrested, he said.

"ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security," Thomas Byrd, Public Affairs Officer for ICE, said in a statement. "ICE conducts targeted immigration enforcement in compliance with federal law and agency policy.

"ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately," Byrd's statement continued. "However, as Secretary Kelly has made clear, ICE will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement."

This morning's press conference will be at 11 a.m.

The Coalition also will host a prayer vigil at the DeKalb County Jail in Fort Payne at 7 p.m.