It was a quiet February morning when a father took his normal route to drop his child off at daycare, as he does almost every day. After saying their goodbyes, instead of being met by other parents, hellos and polite conversation, the father is approached by unidentified, masked agents. They pull out a photo of his face.
“Is this you?” they ask.
The father said yes and was apprehended, put in an unmarked vehicle and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This is not how a school morning should begin for parents and families who are simply trying to take their children to daycare.
“They took a dad,” Nivea, a parent who asked their last name not to be shared, told the Idaho Statesman after they witnessed the incident.
Mayra Ramirez, the owner of Mayra’s Spanish Preschool and Daycare in Boise, said that several agents blocked the father in and wouldn’t let him leave. When Ramirez asked for a warrant or dentition order, they were denied.
The agents didn’t enter the school, but many families were terrified after being notified that ICE was outside the school.
“They’re not going to Croatian schools. They’re not going to Bosnian schools,” Estefania Mondragón, executive director of PODER of Idaho, told the Statesman by phone. “They’re going to a Spanish-language preschool — it sends a very clear message to who they are targeting.”
According to an article by KTVB, the unidentified father had a misdemeanor theft on his record from 2024, but no other criminal charges. He had spent several days in jail for the misdemeanor before doing community service.
KTVB reported that the Boise Police Department was notified by an uninvolved third party who was at the scene. Officials stated that the police were not involved and unaware that the arrest was happening.
“He picks up his child every day,” Nivea told KTVB. “He’s such an amazing dad. He goes on field trips, he chaperones the field trips. To learn it was him was awful. On a Friday when our kids are supposed to be learning, one little boy is going home to just a mom and no daddy.”
This was no violent criminal, no menace to society or the community, but a father. A father who has the right to feel safe when dropping his child off at daycare. The fact that he was refused a warrant and still detained proves that ICE continues to act outside the bounds of the law.
The lack of accountability from ICE and the federal government should raise alarms across the country. What is holding back these agents from arresting our community members, our friends, our families? We have seen this happening across the country, and it has finally arrived in Idaho.
The only thing that can enact change is speaking out, supporting community members and coming together in times of crisis. Fear grips Americans during this time where we are bound by the law, but people who are supposed to be upholding it are not. Everyone has rights in this country, undocumented or not, and this father is another example of these rights being taken.
Andrea Roberts can be reached at [email protected].
Roberto
If ICE detained him I’m guessing he’s in the USA illegally. There’s the chargeable offense. Why is this hard to understand?
Fred Albumin
Regardless of the parent status of an illegal immigrant, illegals have broken US immigration laws and must face the consequences of those actions.
Martina
I‘m ashamed for Idaho.
Jim Garver
Another boo hoo liberal touchy feely article that conveniently ignores the key question, “was this man here legally or illegally”? Also, Ms. Roberts leaves out whether or not the man was arrested or let out. A true journalist would have followed up to clarify and report that. Instead we get another liberal puff piece that the Statesman loves to run because its editor hates America. Funny liberals always avoid the elephant in the room, coming here illegally is a crime and they have no answer for it. Illegal is illegal and it doesn’t matter how wonderful a person is. On the flip side if this man is here legally and was unlawfully detained then I would be happy to contribute to his legal fund and sue ICE. But once again either through laziness or journalistic incompetence we don’t know the status and all we’re left with is a slanted puff piece.
JimmyD88
I support ICE 100%. If you are an American citizen or here legally then you have no reason to interfere or fear ICE. They are doing a job that isn't a glamorous job. If you are terrified you probably are not here legally anyway. I am an Opinion Editor too.
Randy
Was he illegally here.That’s the question, I sincerely hope so as was a mistake that can be corrected.
Sandy
This is not about a Spanish speaking father nor is it about his minimal criminal background. Is he in this country legally? I am going to assume no. Stop making ICE out to be some evil group. They are doing there job.
Dennis Whitehead
This Dad is all of us.