U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a five-year-old boy during an immigration enforcement operation on Tuesday, according to Minnesota school officials and the family’s legal representative.
Liam Ramos, a pre-schooler, was with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when agents approached Conejo Arias on his driveway, as identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a statement released on X, the DHS asserted that “ICE did NOT target a child.” The agency stated it was conducting an operation targeting the father, described as an “illegal alien” who allegedly “abandoned” his son upon being approached.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, questioned the necessity of detaining a young child, asking, “Why detain a five-year-old?”
“You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal,” Stenvik added.
ICE refuted claims that the child was detained in a post on X.
“A criminal illegal alien ABANDONED his child as he fled from ICE officers, and our officers ensured the child was kept SAFE in the bitter cold,” the agency stated.
“ICE made multiple attempts to get the family inside the house to take custody of the child.”
“They refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.”
The DHS has yet to respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Photographs provided to the BBC by the school district depict a boy, identified as Liam Ramos, wearing a winter hat shaped like a bunny, standing outside while an officer holds his backpack.
Columbia Heights Public Schools described these photos as having been taken by bystanders. The district did not identify the individuals who took the pictures, referring to them as “known and confirmed community members.”
Marc Prokosch, the family’s attorney, stated at a press conference on Thursday that Liam and his father are currently being held at a detention center in San Antonio, Texas, and that legal counsel is attempting to contact them.
Prokosch indicated that the boy and his father arrived in the U.S. from Ecuador in 2024 to seek asylum.
“This family was not eluding ICE in any way,” Prokosch stated. “They were following all the established protocols.”
School officials reported that an agent requested the child to knock on the door of the residence to determine if anyone else was present.
Stenvik stated at the press conference that the boy had just arrived home from pre-school at the time of the incident.
She added that another adult residing in the home requested to take the boy inside, but the request was denied.
School board member Mary Granlund said she was present at the scene and informed immigration officials that she could take Liam Ramos, but they proceeded to detain him.
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, who visited Minnesota on Thursday amid ongoing protests against immigration enforcement, told reporters that ICE had no alternative because “the father ran.”
“What are they supposed to do?” he asked of ICE agents. “Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death?”
“Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?”
He added, “If the argument is that you can’t arrest people who have violated laws because they have children… that doesn’t make any sense.”
Stenvik reported that ICE had recently detained a total of four students in her school district, including a 10-year-old, and two 17-year-olds.
“The onslaught of ICE activity in our community is inducing trauma,” Stenvik told reporters.
The DHS maintains that it is arresting the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in an effort to restore public safety in Minnesota.
At a DHS press conference on Tuesday, Gregory Bovino of the U.S. Border Patrol stated, “Our operations are lawful, are targeted, and are focused on individuals who pose a serious threat to this community.”
The immigration enforcement initiative, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, has sparked outcry from residents in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other cities in the state.
On January 7, a federal officer fatally shot a woman named Renee Good in Minneapolis, inciting protests and condemnation from local and state officials.
The Trump administration alleged that the 37-year-old was using her vehicle as a weapon and that the officer acted in self-defense.
Also on Thursday, seven Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with Republicans to narrowly pass $1.2 trillion (£900 billion) in funding for government agencies, including ICE.
The measure, which would allocate $64.4 billion to DHS, including $10 billion for ICE, was approved 220-207. It must still pass the Senate.
Democrats who voted in favor stated that they did so to fund the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency, both under DHS.
Experts say the storm will dump heavy snow and ice in around 30 states, affecting more than 160 million people.
For the first time, former special counsel Jack Smith spoke publicly about his investigations into Donald Trump.
“We’re going to be very successful in Gaza,” President Trump says, as his administration laid out its vision for post-war reconstruction.
JPMorgan Chase the lawsuit has “no merit” and the bank “does not close accounts for political or religious reasons”.
Denmark and Greenland have made it clear they will not relinquish sovereignty of the world’s largest island.