NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Federal agents arrested more than a dozen undocumented workers at several fish processing plants in New Bedford.

The so-called “out-of-status aliens” were from Mexico and Central America, according to a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

They could face deportation, and the plants they were employed at could be fined. Ten of the 13 workers arrested Monday have been released pending court appearances.

, while three others were being held in custody, ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier said Tuesday.

Two of the workers who remain in custody already have been ordered deported, while the third is a suspected gang member, according to Grenier.

Eight of those arrested worked for AML International at the South Terminal.

The plant’s manager, Frank Ferreira, told The Standard Times of New Bedford that the crackdown spread panic, even among legal workers with documentation. Ferreira said the entire planted emptied out after the raid, and many workers did not return out of fear that they might be targeted.