as detained could be heard yelling,  My baby! My baby!  The witnesses said the man was so distraught that he passed out.

 It all seemed really calm, cool and collected from all the professionals, and the only person I saw yelling was the man being arrested,  Vachon said.

During the incident, Sanford police officers also learned that two of the man's other children, ages 2 and 9, had been left inside a nearby home without adult supervision. The Sanford Police Department then contacted the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which responded to the home to ensure the children's safety and welfare.

 The Sanford Police Department's involvement in this incident was limited to responding to a request for assistance, addressing immediate public safety concerns, and ensuring the safety and welfare of the children involved,  Sanford police said in a news release shared on Facebook.  The federal enforcement action was conducted by ICE. 

In July, a new law that restricts local law enforcement's collaboration with federal immigration authorities went into effect in Maine. LD 1971 was passed by both chambers of the Maine Legislature in June 2025, but Gov. Janet Mills decided to hold the bill, which became law without her signature in January.

As of Thursday evening, it is unclear whether the toddler is still in the hospital, where the other children were taken or where the children's father is being detained.