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Parents arrested by ICE after dropping children off at San Diego school

Sep 10, 2026·Location: San Diego, CA

Parents arrested by ICE after dropping children off at San Diego school
Photo via KPBS

James Mervil and Josselene Polidor were arrested by ICE agents near John Marshall Elementary School in the Chollas Creek neighborhood of San Diego minutes after dropping off their 2- and 5-year-old children. Witnesses said officers boxed in the family's car, and the mother ran barefoot into a nearby home under construction, where she was handcuffed while pleading with workers for help and explaining her daughter attended the nearby school. Construction workers reported that an officer unholstered his gun and threatened pepper spray when a supervisor tried to intervene, and that the officer entered the home without the owner's permission. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests, stating the parents had overstayed their visas. San Diego Unified School District confirmed both parents were taken into ICE custody, said the children were not present and were doing well, and arranged for a family friend to pick them up, while also condemning ICE arrests near its campuses. Local elected officials, including Rep. Scott Peters and Mayor Todd Gloria, condemned the arrests, saying such actions traumatize children and families.

Timeline

Sep 10, 2026—Witness accounts emerged describing the arrest, including an officer entering a private home and threatening force against construction workers who intervened
Sep 9, 2026—ICE agents arrested James Mervil and Josselene Polidor near John Marshall Elementary School in San Diego after they dropped off their children
Sep 9, 2026—Elected officials, including Rep. Scott Peters and Mayor Todd Gloria, condemned the arrests
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