New Jersey ICE Operation Leaves Young Child Alone After Father Taken Into Custody
After her father was arrested by federal immigration authorities while walking to get food near their Morristown apartment on a Sunday night, a six-year-old daughter was traumatized.
The family reports that Adonay Mancia Rodríguez watched cartoons with his daughter Annabella while his partner, Gabby Rosa, worked at a neighboring Walmart. When Annabella mentioned she was hungry, Adonay ordered from a Speedwell Avenue restaurant near their apartment. He went downstairs to get it, expecting to return in minutes.
Instead, federal ICE agents detained him across the street during an enforcement operation. Meanwhile, immigration authorities raided a neighboring laundromat and detained 10 people, including a high school student. Adonay never returned.
Annabella was alone in the apartment, unknowing of her father’s fate. The toddler was crying and asking, “Where’s Papi?” after she went looking for him, according to neighbors.
Gabby Rosa discovered the scenario at work. She said her phone started ringing as neighbors tried to warn her. She panicked and ran home to find her daughter upset and her spouse gone.
Gabby later watched social media videos of Adonay and others lying face down on the ground while ICE authorities restrained them. He remains in the Elizabeth Detention Center after being transferred.
Adonay has lived in New Jersey since 2013, according to family. They say he departed his home country at a young age owing to gang violence and poverty and has worked at a local halal eatery to support his family. Gabby says he has no criminal record other than minor driving offenses and has always focused on his daughter’s stability.
Annabella has suffered emotionally. Gabby says her daughter keeps crying and asking when she’ll see her father. She worries about the long-term repercussions of this sudden separation on a young child who relies on her parents for emotional support.
As they struggle, the family faces legal ambiguity. Gabby says they’re attempting to find an immigration counsel, but the cost is a problem. A relative is fundraising for Adonay’s jail legal fees.
The event worries local officials. Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty publicly requested pro bono immigration attorneys for individuals held after the laundromat raid, underlining the strain such operations inflict on families and the community.
This case has rekindled discussion about immigration enforcement’s human toll, especially on children. Federal agencies oversee immigration operations, but advocates and local officials question how they are carried out and whether youngsters are protected from being left unattended during arrests.
Gabby Rosa is still hurting. She struggles to understand how a child may be left alone during an enforcement action and worries constantly about her daughter growing up without her father.
An regular family moment has become a life-changing occurrence, therefore the family is focusing on reconnecting Annabella with her dad and navigating the legal process.
Sources
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Town of Morristown, New Jersey
Elizabeth Detention Center
Office of the Mayor of Morristown
