SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Elected officials and Haitian community leaders are demanding answers after ICE arrested two parents near John Marshall Elementary School in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests of James Mervil and Josselene Polidor were part of a targeted enforcement operation. The agency said the couple entered the country lawfully in 2022 but overstayed their welcome, though officials did not specify how.
DHS said the pair ran when agents initiated a traffic stop, and that Polidor ignored commands to stop and bit an officer while resisting arrest.
People who know the couple said they had Temporary Protected Status until late July, when the Trump administration ended TPS for all Haitians in the country. They also said the couple has a pending asylum case.
DHS said the children's father was released late Wednesday night with an ankle monitor. Polidor will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
Witnesses say the couple's 2- and 5-year-old children had just been dropped off at John Marshall Elementary when the arrests took place. With no one immediately available to care for them, the school stepped in.
"So terrible, there was nobody else to pick up the kids; it was the school who organized to drop the kids to a stand-in guardian," Wister Gaetan said.
San Diego Unified board trustee Cody Petterson became emotional after watching video of the arrest.
"It's hard to watch," Petterson said.
He also addressed the presence of ICE near school campuses.
"We obviously, we've made it very clear we don't want ICE at drop-off or nearby or pick-up," Petterson said.
The arrests took place in City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera's district, which includes the City Heights and Chollas Creek neighborhoods. He also became emotional watching the video.
"It makes me think, what are we doing? Like what are we doing?" Elo-Rivera said.
On Thursday morning, Elo-Rivera and other community leaders were at John Marshall Elementary for school drop-off.
"To stand with other community members who are trying to make sure that the kids got to school safe," Elo-Rivera said.
Also Thursday, Haitian community leaders condemned the arrests at a weekly ICE protest outside the federal building downtown, saying that since TPS expired, those who came to the country legally are now being targeted.
"That's just one snip example of what is happening in our community," one community leader said.
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