SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Haitian father was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Friday morning just minutes after dropping off his 2-year-old daughter at a Head Start program in North Park, according to community advocates.
Walto Deshommes had just left the Neighborhood House Association Head Start location when he was taken into custody by ICE. His partner, who asked to be identified only as Suze out of fear, said both she and Deshommes had been in the country legally under Temporary Protected Status until the Trump administration ended that protection in July. She said both have a pending asylum case.
Community advocate Wister Gaetan said he received a call Friday morning from Suze, who was too afraid to pick up their toddler herself. He stepped in to bring the child home.
"They were very alarmed and requesting for help," Gaetan said.
Gaetan, who translated the interview with Suze, said school officials confirmed the arrest took place just outside the campus, not on school grounds.
"They were only able to receive the key to his car and his ID because at the moment of the arrest he seems to have thrown it to one of the school personnel," Gaetan said.
Suze had an immigration court date Monday afternoon. Despite the fear surrounding her partner's detention, Gaetan said she remained committed to appearing.
"The fear is high for them, but they still want to do what the law requires them to do," Gaetan said.
Gaetan said advocates have noticed a pattern in recent weeks of ICE targeting Haitian community members who have recently fallen out of immigration status but still have pending cases.
"If those folks have pending asylum, why are they being arrest, picked up, separated from their kid? Why aren't not being afforded the opportunity to make their case in the court of immigration?" Gaetan said.
ICE did not respond to a request for information.
In a statement, Neighborhood House Association, the nonprofit that operates the school, confirmed the arrest took place and said staff followed procedures by contacting the child's emergency contact.
Read the school's complete statement below:
"Our priority is, and always will be, the safety, well-being, and care of every child entrusted to Neighborhood House Association.
We are aware of the situation involving the parents of one of the children enrolled in one of our classrooms who were detained by immigration law enforcement. Upon learning of the situation, our staff followed established procedures and contacted the child’s designated emergency contact. The child was safely released into the care of that authorized family member.
Our role is to provide a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for children and families. We recognize that situations involving the separation of a child from their parents can be deeply difficult and unsettling for everyone involved, particularly for the child. Our staff remain focused on ensuring that the child receives the care, compassion, and stability they need while in our program.
Because this is a private matter involving a child and family, we will not comment on the family’s circumstances or provide additional details. We will continue to respect the family’s privacy while carrying out our responsibility to the children and families we serve.
Neighborhood House Association is committed to serving every child and family with dignity, respect, compassion, and care."
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