Federal immigration agents renewed an apparent yearlong crackdown on Indonesian Christians in New Jersey on Thursday, arresting at least two men in the morning, and forcing another well-known community leader to return to sanctuary at his church.

Rev. Seth Kaper Dale of the Reformed Highland Church of Highland Park said the two men — from Piscataway and Metuchen — were arrested after dropping off their children at school.

He said the third man, a leader at his church named Harry Pangemanan, had called him after noticing at about 5:45 a.m. that an unmarked car with tinted windows was outside of his Highland Park home. Kaper-Dale said he drove there and took a live video of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers knocking on the door, and then getting in vehicles and driving away.

"As soon as he drove away the second time, I called Harry and said, "Quick, get in my car, we're going to the church."

Pangemanan, 47, joined fellow Indonesian Christians also seeking sanctuary at the church. He had been in sanctuary there for an 11-month stretch during the Obama Administration. But until President Trump took office, he and other Christians who had fled persecution in majority-Muslim Indonesia, were not a priority for deportation.

Just a week ago, Pangemanan won a Martin Luther King humanitarian award for his disaster relief efforts after Sandy. The father of two U.S.-born children said he knew he was wanted for overstaying his visa 25 years ago. His friends have recently been deported for the same reason.

I condemn today’s ICE raids in Middlesex. I just met with families torn apart, and others seeking sanctuary at Reformed Church of Highland Park. Our hearts go out to all New Jerseyans living in fear of deportation. I will fight for you. pic.twitter.com/5d0EQx91k5

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 25, 2018

Gov. Phil Murphy said he decided to make a last-minute visit to the church when he heard of the ICE arrests.

He was joined on the visit by Rep. Frank Pallone and the mayors of Metuchen and Highland Park.

The visit came a day after Murphy announced New Jersey would join a lawsuit challenging President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects those who were brought to the U.S. as children — which has been at the center of budget negotiations and stalemates in Washington.

An ICE spokesman confirmed the two arrests in New Jersey but would not elaborate on any other enforcement actions that took place in the state Thursday. Earlier in the day, an agency's email response was still set to indicate it was unavailable due to the government shutdown, which ended on Monday.

WNYC's Karen Rouse and Mara Silvers contributed to this story.

This article was updated on Thursday at 6:53 p.m. to include a response from ICE.