Minnesota ICE Detention Of 5-Year-Old Sparks Outcry

On a cold January afternoon in Minnesota, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos returned home from preschool, unaware that his life—and the lives of many in his community—was about to change dramatically. As he sat in the family’s driveway, federal immigration agents approached, and within moments, both Liam and his father were taken into custody, sparking a wave of outrage and fear across the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights.

The incident, which unfolded on January 20, 2026, has become the latest flashpoint in a series of intensified federal immigration enforcement actions sweeping through Minnesota. According to school officials and the family’s lawyer, Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, had a pending asylum case and no deportation order. They had entered the United States lawfully in 2024, presenting themselves at a port of entry and applying for asylum using the CBP One app—a detail emphasized by the family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, who stated, “These are not illegal aliens. They came legally and are pursuing a legal pathway.”

Yet, as Liam arrived home that Tuesday, the sequence of events that followed left many in the community shaken. According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE agents removed the boy from a still-running car and directed him to knock on the family’s front door. “Essentially using a five-year-old as bait,” Stenvik told reporters, describing how agents sought to determine if anyone else was inside the home. The child’s mother, who was inside, was told by the father not to open the door, a decision that likely spared her immediate detention but left her distraught and separated from her son.

Despite pleas from another adult living at the home, school officials, and even a neighbor with legal papers authorizing them to care for Liam, ICE agents refused to leave the boy with anyone else. Instead, both father and son were transported to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, where, according to Prokosch, they remain in custody. “We’re looking at our legal options to see if we can free them either through some legal mechanisms or through moral pressure,” Prokosch said at a news conference, noting that direct contact with the family has been limited.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the agents’ actions, maintaining that ICE “did NOT target a child.” In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal alien from Ecuador who was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached the driver, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.” DHS added that parents are given the choice to be removed with their children or to designate a safe person for their care, a protocol it says is consistent with previous administrations.

However, local officials and community members dispute the federal account. Stenvik and others present at the scene said they did not witness the father fleeing. Instead, he was seen handcuffed in the driveway, and the situation outside the home was described as fluid and chaotic, with people yelling and speaking over one another. School board chair Mary Granlund recalled offering to take the child, only to watch as agents drove away with him. Rachel James, a city council member and neighbor, said she and another neighbor offered to care for Liam, but were ignored by agents.

In the days that followed, the incident drew national attention, with images of Liam—clad in a blue tuque and Spider-Man backpack—provoking widespread outcry online. The case quickly became emblematic of the broader tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, a state that has seen approximately 3,000 arrests by immigration officers in just six weeks, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection official Greg Bovino.

Vice President JD Vance, visiting Minneapolis shortly after the incident, weighed in on the controversy. He acknowledged hearing the “terrible story” but emphasized that the boy was detained, not arrested, and suggested that ICE officers acted appropriately given the circumstances. “Well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?” Vance asked, noting his own experience as a parent of a five-year-old. However, he was not asked about why agents refused to leave the child with other responsible adults who had offered to care for him.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, on the other hand, condemned the ICE surge as “political retaliation.” Frey argued that the federal government’s actions were less about public safety and more about sowing chaos and fear, particularly in immigrant communities. “This is more about political retaliation. This is more about, tragically, terrorizing people than it is about safety, than it is even about immigration,” Frey said at a news conference. He called for better cooperation between state and federal officials, emphasizing that if the goal was truly to target violent criminals, local authorities would be eager partners.

The impact of these enforcement actions has been deeply felt in Columbia Heights Public Schools, a district of about 3,400 students—most from immigrant families. Since the start of the immigration sweeps, three other students from the district have been detained by immigration authorities: a 10-year-old fourth grader and two 17-year-olds. The superintendent reported that attendance has dropped, with up to one-third of students absent on some days, as families keep their children home out of fear. “Our children should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop,” Granlund said. “Their families should not be afraid to drop off or pick up their children from school.”

The trauma extends beyond the students. Teachers and staff, described as “shattered” by the detention of their students, have called for a peaceful resolution. Ella Sullivan, Liam’s teacher, described him as “kind and loving,” adding, “His classmates miss him. And all I want is for him to be safe and back here.” Superintendent Stenvik echoed these sentiments, stating, “What I’m requesting is a peaceful resolution to this situation... diplomatic and peaceful.”

Meanwhile, concerns about conditions at the Dilley lockup have intensified. Leecia Welch, chief legal counselor at Children’s Rights, reported after a recent visit that children are malnourished, extremely ill, and suffering from prolonged detention, with some held for over 100 days. “Nearly every child we spoke to was sick,” Welch said, highlighting the mounting humanitarian concerns tied to the current approach to immigration enforcement.

Adding another layer of controversy, an internal ICE memo obtained by The Associated Press reportedly directed agents to enter homes without a warrant—a move that may conflict with U.S. Supreme Court rulings. The memo, shared by a Congressional official and authenticated by the Associated Press, has raised alarms about the scope of federal power and due process rights amid the ongoing sweeps.

As the debate continues, the story of Liam Conejo Ramos and his classmates has crystallized the human cost of shifting immigration policies. For many in Columbia Heights, the hope is simple: that their children can return to school, their families remain intact, and their community finds peace amid the storm.