SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — A Haitian father was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after dropping off his 2-year-old daughter at a San Diego daycare program.Suze, the child’s mother, agreed to an interview but declined to show her face, saying she was afraid. She spoke days after she said her daughter’s father, Walto Deshommes, was detained.A Haitian father was detained by ICE minutes after dropping his toddler off at a San Diego daycare.Family advocate describes arrestWister Gaetan, a family advocate, said he received a call Friday morning. He said Suze was too afraid to pick up the toddler, so he brought the child home instead.“They were very alarmed and requesting for help,” Gaetan said.Gaetan said officials at the Head Start daycare program in the North Park neighborhood confirmed the arrest happened outside the school, not on campus.“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.Family says legal status recently endedGaetan translated a conversation with Suze, who said she and her partner had been in the country legally under Temporary Protected Status until the Trump administration ended the protection in July.She said both have pending asylum cases. She had an immigration court date Monday afternoon.“The fear is high for them, but they still want to do what the law requires them to do,” Gaetan said.Gaetan said it is a trend they have noticed in recent weeks, with ICE targeting Haitians who have recently fallen out of status but still have pending cases.“Why aren’t they being afforded the opportunity to make their case in the court of immigration?” Gaetan said.ICE, school nonprofit respondICE did not respond to a request for information.Neighborhood House Association, the nonprofit that runs the school, confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying staff followed procedures and contacted the child’s emergency contact. The organization said its priority is and always will be the safety, well-being and care of every child.Copyright 2026 KGTV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.