A New Jersey man would have gone for a food run had Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) not stepped in. But the day ended with his 6-year-old girl wandering her Morristown neighborhood alone, crying and asking strangers where her dad was.
On Sunday, Jan. 11, Morristown, New Jersey, residents saw a little girl walking by herself outside an apartment building, looking very distressed. According to her mother, the child (Annabella) was waiting at home while her father stepped out to pick up some food. Sadly, he never made it back.
Her father’s name is Adonay Mancia Rodríguez, and he was detained by ICE agents near his home. The operation was routine enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security says. After some time, Annabella realized her father wasn’t returning, so she went outside crying and calling out for him.
At this time, her mother, Gabby Rosa, was at work at a nearby Walmart. She got a call from her neighbor, who told her what they had seen. Rosa told NJ.com that the neighbor said her little daughter was crying and repeatedly asking, “Where’s Papi?”
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Rosa immediately rushed home. But later that day, she said she saw a video on social media that showed her child’s father, Rodríguez, as part of a group of people who were detained during the ICE operation.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that 11 people were arrested by ICE in Morristown that day. McLaughlin told People magazine that those detained were living in the country without legal permission and are now being removed or are in the process of being deported under U.S. immigration law. We must note that the agency hasn’t confirmed whether Rodríguez was among the 11 detainees or even disclosed specific allegations against him.
Rosa, on the other hand, has said that her partner has no criminal record. She wrote on Facebook that Rodríguez fled gang violence in Honduras and came to Morristown as a teenager to be with his family. A relative has also launched a GoFundMe. It details how he came to the U.S. at 16, has lived and worked in Morristown for more than a decade. He is even raising his daughter in that part of New Jersey.
As of the time of writing, the fundraiser raised almost $26,500.
ICE detain father—leave 6 year old daughter home alone.
The little girl was found wandering the streets in tears, crying, “Where’s Papi? Where’s Papi?”
“They took him and they left my baby in the apartment, all alone,” said her mother.
Father is a refugee with a clean record… pic.twitter.com/rYgQBzKEx7
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) January 17, 2026
Advocates say little Annabella’s experience is part of a pattern across the country when ICE separates families without warning. According to the American Immigration Council, millions of U.S.-citizen children have undocumented parents. But in case they get arrested, the kids are likely to have higher levels of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and long-term health issues.
Two days after the detention, roughly 300 protesters gathered outside the Hyatt Regency, Morristown. That’s where the ICE agents were rumored to be staying. Residents denounced the raids with chants and signs.
Mayor Timothy Dougherty said the town was not told about the ICE operation near a laundromat and local businesses, and did not assist in it. In a video statement, Dougherty asked immigration attorneys to provide pro bono help to those detained.
