ICE takes custody of 8-year-old Haitian boy at San Diego immigration hearing

The Department of Homeland Security defended ICE officers who took custody of an 8-year-old Haitian child at an immigration hearing held in San Diego last week, according to reports from aol.com and kztv10.com.

The child had been living with his uncle, who brought him to the immigration check-in. However, ICE confirmed the man was not the child’s legal guardian or family member, prompting the agency to remove the boy from the household for his safety and place him under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Video showing the boy being led away by ICE agents circulated widely online, drawing attention from local officials. San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera described the moment as causing significant panic.

The San Diego Unified School District, where the boy attended school, expressed concern in a letter to federal officials about the emotional impact on the child, including family separation, disruption to schooling, and loss of daily routine stability.

The child's father had been blocked from re-entering the U.S. after a border crossing error last year, according to a Haitian activist in contact with the family. The Department of Health and Human Services is currently caring for the child but has not disclosed his location.