CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Two young children in Chula Vista are now in the care of a family friend after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained both of their parents after school drop-off this week.
The boys, ages 12 and 4, have not seen their parents since Tuesday morning when Reinaldo Chirino and Kris Estefany dropped them off at school. The parents never returned to pick up their children because ICE arrested them shortly after the school drop-off.
Itzel Jimenez, a family friend, received a voicemail about the detention and stepped in to care for the children to prevent them from entering the foster care system.
"There was a voicemail, and I could hear the ICE agent in the background saying that she had an opportunity to call and figure out who's going to pick up the kids," Jimenez said.
Using a temporary caregiver authorization affidavit, Jimenez took custody of the boys since they have no other family nearby.
"It was either they were going to go to CPS because no one was going to pick them up or they're going to come with somebody that they knew, so I decided to just take them," Jimenez said.
The couple, originally from Venezuela and Colombia, is now detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Chirino contacted ABC 10News reporter Laura Acevedo from inside the facility, describing his family as hardworking and with no criminal records in the United States or in their home countries.
The family came to the country legally in 2022 under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. Chirino said he had a valid work permit and worked with his wife cleaning offices.
However, the Trump administration recently revoked that legal protection for all Venezuelans, causing the family to fall out of legal status.
Jimenez, who has two children of her own, is now raising money and trying to find an attorney to take on the case while caring for the boys.
On Thursday, she had to surrender the boys' family dog to a shelter because she could not find someone to help care for the pet. The dog is on hold at a local shelter, and she's hoping she can find someone to care for the dog while the boys' parents are detained.
"I just feel like for the kids, enough is enough for them, and I need to give them stability while I can," Jimenez said.
The family has a GoFundMe to help with legal services to fight the parents' case. If you'd like to help, click here.
The parents have a hearing with an immigration judge on February 9th.
After multiple requests for comment, an ICE spokesperson provided the following response regarding the Chula Vista parents:
“ICE arrested Reinaldo Chirino-Rivero, an illegal alien from Venezuela, on Jan. 27. Chirino is in the United States illegally and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
ICE also arrested Kris Stefany Pineda-Torregrosa, an illegal alien from Colombia, on Jan. 27. Pineda was found to be in the United States illegally, having entered the country without inspection. Pineda will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Neither alien has any lawful status to remain in the United States.
Those who are here illegally can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return. Learn more here: CBP Home Mobile Application | U.S. Customs and Border Protection [cbp.gov].
Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates.”
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