ICE Operation Sparks Controversy After Detaining Young Child in Minnesota

Fri Jan 23 2026 06:59:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A 5-year-old boy was detained by ICE during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, prompting widespread criticism and questions about the implications for children in such scenarios.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 5-year-old Liam Ramos during an operation targeting his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. School officials and community leaders are raising concerns about the impact of such actions on children, as Liam reportedly was standing with immigration officers after his father was apprehended. The Department of Homeland Security stated the operation was necessary but faced backlash over the decision to detain a young child.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a 5-year-old boy on Tuesday during an enforcement operation, Minnesota school officials have said, as part of an immigration crackdown in the state.

Pre-schooler Liam Ramos was with his father - named by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias - when Conejo Arias was approached by agents on his driveway.

In a statement posted on X, the DHS said ICE did NOT target a child, but was conducting an operation against his father, an illegal alien who abandoned his son when approached.

Zena Stenvik, the Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent, asked: Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal. Photos provided to the BBC show a boy, identified as Liam Ramos, wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat, standing outside as an officer holds onto his backpack.

Marc Prokosch, a lawyer representing the family, told journalists that Liam and his father were likely being held at a detention centre in Texas. School officials said that the father had an active asylum case with no deportation order.

Stenvik stated the child had just arrived home from pre-school at the time of the apprehension, and school officials were present to provide support.

Stenvik noted that ICE had recently detained a total of four students in her school district, including a 10-year-old and two 17-year-olds.

In the DHS's post on X, they described the arrest as a targeted operation but insisted measures were in place for the child's safety, stating that one officer remained with the child while others apprehended Conejo Arias. Another adult living in the home had requested to take the boy inside but was refused.

Columbia Heights Public Schools Board of Education Chair Mary Granlund expressed concern, stating: Our children should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop. Their families should not be afraid to drop off or pick up their children from school. The operations have drawn criticism from residents amidst broader discussions on immigration enforcement in Minnesota.