SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego city and school district leaders are demanding answers after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained an 8-year-old boy during an immigration check-in.
The third grader, a student at Fay Elementary in City Heights, was removed from his family on Wednesday. Advocates say his uncle had brought him to the check-in. The uncle had been caring for the child since the boy's father was deported in March 2025.
Sean Elo-Rivera learned of the child's situation when he got a call from San Diego Unified Superintendent Dr. Fabiola Bagula.
"She called very upset because one of her students, one of the district students, one of my constituents, a 3rd grader, had been removed from their family," Elo-Rivera said.
Wister Gaetan, the co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance and an immigration advocate, has been in touch with the child's family. He said the father's deportation happened when he accidentally drove into Mexico, and said the family was here with Temporary Protected Status from Haiti. President Trump ended that protection this summer.
"Nobody should accept that this minor, who should be in school, is a threat to our society," Gaetan said.
Elo-Rivera, San Diego Unified leadership, and several teachers' unions have now sent a three-page letter straight to DHS and HHS. The letter demands the child be brought back into his community and asks the agencies to change placement policies so children taken into federal custody can stay close to their families and schools while continuing their education.
"My concern starts with what we're doing to kids that's just incredibly cruel," Elo-Rivera said.
"That's just incredibly cruel, and if you don't If it's not bad enough what they're doing to the adults, let's keep in mind what they're doing to the kids," Elo-Rivera said.
In a lengthy statement, ICE said the child was taken to the check-in by a man claiming to be his uncle. A spokesperson said the uncle couldn't establish legal guardianship in accordance with federal law, so the child was removed and placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
ICE added that the boy was initially brought to the U.S. by a man who claimed to be his father and was later deported to Mexico by Customs and Border Protection.
The exact whereabouts of the child are unclear. ABC 10News reached out to the Office of Refugee Resettlement to find out where he is and so far haven't heard back.
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