Minnesota School Officials Decry ICE Using 5-Year-Old as 'Bait' in Father's Arrest
Federal immigration agents have detained a five-year-old boy and his father in Minnesota, transporting them to a detention facility in Texas, according to statements from school officials and the family's legal representative. The incident has ignited fresh controversy over immigration enforcement tactics in the Twin Cities region, where a recent surge in operations has unsettled local communities.
Allegations of Using Child as 'Bait'
Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik detailed the alarming events during a news conference on Wednesday. She stated that federal officers apprehended Liam Conejo Ramos from a running vehicle parked in his family's driveway on Tuesday afternoon. The agents then allegedly instructed the young boy to knock on the door of his suburban Minneapolis home to ascertain if other individuals were inside.
"Essentially using a five-year-old as bait," Stenvik asserted, condemning the agents' actions. She emphasised that the family has an active asylum application pending and has not received any order to depart the United States. "Why detain a five-year-old?" she questioned. "You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal."
Contradictory Accounts from Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement contesting these characterisations. "ICE did NOT target a child," she declared. McLaughlin explained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting an operation to arrest the boy's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, whom she identified as an Ecuadorian national residing in the U.S. unlawfully.
According to McLaughlin, Conejo Arias fled on foot without his son during the encounter. "For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias," she stated. She added that parents in such situations are presented with the option to be removed alongside their children or to have them placed with a designated individual.
However, Superintendent Stenvik countered that another adult resident was present outside the home when the father and son were taken, yet agents refused to leave Liam with that person. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email inquiry on Thursday regarding whether Conejo Arias had requested to keep his son with him.
Family Held in Texas Detention
Marc Prokosch, the family's attorney, confirmed during the news conference that Liam and his father are currently being held in a family detention cell in Texas. He expressed profound dismay at their treatment, noting the family's compliance with immigration procedures. "Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they’ve been asked to do," Prokosch said regarding their asylum claim. "So this is just cruelty."
Broader Context of Immigration Sweeps in Minnesota
Minnesota has emerged as a significant focal point for immigration enforcement operations led by DHS agencies. Greg Bovino, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official prominently associated with the crackdowns in Minneapolis and other urban areas, reported that approximately 3,000 individuals described as "some of the most dangerous offenders" have been arrested in Minnesota over the past six weeks.
Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, voiced scepticism about the government's assertions. She indicated that advocates lack reliable means to verify the accuracy of the arrest figures or the descriptions provided of those in custody.
Impact on Local School Community
Superintendent Stenvik revealed that Liam represents the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools to be detained by ICE in recent weeks. Other cases include a seventeen-year-old student taken while en route to school on Tuesday, alongside a ten-year-old and another seventeen-year-old previously detained.
The school district, comprising five institutions and serving roughly 3,400 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, has a student body predominantly from immigrant families, according to Stenvik. She reported a noticeable decline in attendance over the last fortnight, with one day witnessing approximately one-third of students absent from school.
Ella Sullivan, Liam’s teacher, fondly described him as "kind and loving." "His classmates miss him," she shared. "And all I want is for him to be safe and back here."
This incident underscores the deepening tensions surrounding immigration enforcement practices and their profound effects on vulnerable communities, particularly children entangled in complex legal battles.
