Five-Year-Old Boy Detained by ICE in Minneapolis Sparks Outrage Over Trump's Immigration Policies
The detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy wearing a Spider Man backpack, in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights has become a stark symbol of the Trump administration's hardline approach to immigration enforcement. This incident, which occurred on 20 January, has drawn fierce criticism from local politicians and activists, who argue it exemplifies a campaign focused on terrorizing children and families rather than addressing crime.
Turbocharging a Discontinued Policy
According to a spokesperson from homeland security, ICE officers took Liam into custody following a foot chase during an attempt to arrest his father. However, this event is not an isolated case. It represents a significant escalation in efforts to detain more unauthorized immigrant families, effectively reviving a policy that had been discontinued five years ago.
A Guardian analysis of records from the Deportation Data Project reveals that from January to October 2025, ICE booked approximately 3,800 minors into immigrant family detention, including children as young as one or two years old. More than 2,600 of these minors were apprehended by ICE officers within the United States, indicating a shift from previous administrations that primarily used family detention for those crossing the border.
Legal Protections and Aggressive Enforcement
Minors in ICE custody are supposed to be protected under the Flores Settlement, a 1997 consent decree that sets standards for detention and generally requires release if deportation cannot be swiftly executed. Yet, the Trump administration is increasingly locking up families detained in high-profile immigration sweeps across major cities.
Becky Wolozin, an attorney with the National Center for Youth Law, notes that this policy now targets individuals living in the United States with permission, including those with refugee status. "There's no status that protects people anymore. Even US citizens are getting arrested," she stated, highlighting the broad reach of these enforcement actions.
Family Detention Centers and Human Impact
Most children detained with a parent end up at facilities like the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, managed by private prison contractor CoreCivic. This 2,400-bed center, constructed during Barack Obama's second term, is the largest family detention facility in the country. Liam and his father are currently detained there, according to their lawyer.
Wolozin, who has toured the Dilley center, described the situation as "as horrible as it looks," emphasizing the trauma for children like Liam, who are taken from their daily lives and held indefinitely. Many detainees have pending asylum claims and work authorizations, yet are arrested regardless, often at border patrol checkpoints near the US-Mexico border.
Historical Context and Political Moves
Family detention policies have evolved over recent administrations. The George W. Bush administration established initial centers, while Barack Obama scaled back and then increased detention in response to surges in Central American families. The Trump administration inherited this capacity and attempted to overturn Flores Settlement provisions, alongside implementing a short-lived family separation policy.
After the Biden administration halted family immigrant detention in 2021, Trump and Republicans in Congress are now pushing to scrap Flores Settlement restrictions. Last year's spending bill directed ICE to hold families until removal, contradicting the settlement, and quadrupled the detention budget to $45 billion.
Wolozin condemned these measures, stating, "This is totally, 100% unnecessary and 100% designed to hurt kids." The case of Liam Ramos underscores the human cost of these policies, as families with legitimate claims face detention and uncertainty in a system that critics say prioritizes enforcement over compassion.
