Overview:
An 8-year-old Haitian boy was detained by federal immigration agents during a scheduled immigration appointment in San Diego. The child had been living with his uncle since his father was deported in March 2025. His detention sparked criticism from immigration advocates, school officials and local elected leaders, who are demanding his release and questioning the circumstances of his separation from his caregiver. Federal authorities said the child was transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
An 8-year-old Haitian boy was taken into federal custody Nov. 4 after reporting for a scheduled immigration appointment in San Diego, local news has reported.
The detention has prompted criticism from school officials, elected leaders and immigration advocates demanding his release and return to his family.
The boy, a third grader at Fay Elementary School in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood, was living with his uncle after his father was deported to Mexico in March 2025. According to the San Diego Unified School District, the uncle brought the child to the immigration appointment after receiving a letter instructing him to report to federal immigration authorities.
Karen Pohl, a volunteer immigration court observer with Detention Resistance, filmed a video showing federal agents escorting the child away from the building.
“This was the first time I saw a child that young. And it was just, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing because I had never watched a child by himself get detained in that manner,” Pohl told KPBS, the local NPR and PBS affiliate in San Diego.
An 8-year-old Haitian boy is in federal custody after reporting for a scheduled immigration appointment in San Diego.
He had been living with a relative since his father was deported nearly two years ago. DHS claims that relative lacked legal custody.
This child did not run. He… pic.twitter.com/CsQErlLQmF
— Lee Merritt (@LeeMerrittesq) November 7, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security defended the decision, saying the uncle could not establish legal guardianship of the child. A spokesperson said ICE determined the boy was an unaccompanied minor under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and transferred him to the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The agency said it made the decision “out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the child’s safety.”
Cat Escalera said on X: “Not only is he just 8 years old, but he’s been going to all of his immigration appointments. Following the rules. Doing it the right way.”
San Diego Unified officials disputed the circumstances surrounding the separation, saying the uncle was listed in school records as the boy’s authorized caregiver. School district leaders and local elected officials sent a letter to federal authorities demanding the child’s release and return to his community. They also called for greater consideration of children’s family relationships, education and emotional well-being in immigration enforcement decisions.
M. Elaine wrote on X: “This is absolutely terrible, what good reason anyone can give why take him away from his family?”
Immigration advocates also condemned the detention. Wister Gaetan, co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said the child should be attending school and spending time with other children rather than being held in federal custody.
The case has renewed concerns among Haitian immigrant families following the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and increased immigration enforcement.
The boy’s exact location in federal custody had not been publicly confirmed as of Nov. 8. His family was working to resolve the guardianship issue, while local officials continued pressing federal agencies for answers and his return.
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