ICE removes 8-year-old from San Diego school appointment after TPS ends
The child was separated from his uncle at a field office, prompting a search by relatives and a crisis response at his elementary school.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
An 8-year-old third grader in San Diego was taken into federal custody during a scheduled immigration appointment last week. The boy, whose name has not been released, was removed from the care of his uncle and cousins while at an ICE field office in downtown San Diego. As of Monday, his relatives still did not know his location, and Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., said his office is helping the family find him.
The incident follows a Supreme Court ruling this summer that permitted President Donald Trump to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. The boy lost his protection under that ruling. His uncle, who had cared for him since his father was deported last year, brought him to the appointment to comply with a summons. The San Diego Unified School District stated the uncle intended to follow legal procedures.
Video recorded Wednesday by a volunteer at the field office shows three officers leading the boy away. He is wearing a white button-down shirt and slacks. NBC San Diego obtained the footage Friday. The Haitian Bridge Alliance and the school district reported that officers separated the child from his adult relatives during the process.
The Department of Homeland Security provided a different account of the events. A spokesperson said officers could not verify the man's legal guardianship or confirm he was the child's uncle. DHS therefore classified the boy as an unaccompanied minor. The agency described the removal as a precaution to ensure the child's safety. DHS also stated that the boy entered the United States illegally with a man claiming to be his father, and that Customs and Border Patrol, not ICE, removed that man to Mexico.
Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said the boy was transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. That office, overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, takes custody of children classified as unaccompanied minors. HHS declined to discuss the specific case on Monday due to privacy rules. Agency figures indicate 1,640 children are currently in HHS care, while the Deportation Data Project reports immigration authorities detained more than 8,000 children over the past year.
DHS rejected the description of the boy being placed in detention. The agency told NBC San Diego it had a different explanation for the custody classification. Vargas criticized the removal from the community and called for the restoration of TPS protections. Jozef condemned the disruption to the child's family life.
Fay Elementary School is providing additional crisis counselors this week after classmates expressed fear for their friend. District spokesperson James Canning said educators are concerned about the boy's well-being. He noted that neither DHS nor HHS had responded to a letter sent Friday asking the agencies to reconsider the impact of enforcement policies on students.
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