TRELAWNY, Jamaica — Some 20 families in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, have been left homeless after a demolition team reportedly tore down about 20 housing units in an early-morning operation Tuesday.

The residents say they have been before the courts since 2009 for the parcel of land that some say they have occupied for more than three decades.

Residents said the demolition crew arrived on the parcel of land shortly after 3:30 am, catching them off guard and leaving little time to save their belongings.