A pre-schooler and his father were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, sparking widespread condemnation and legal challenges. The incident occurred during an immigration enforcement operation targeting the father, an asylum seeker from Ecuador. School officials and the family’s lawyer have voiced strong objections to the child’s detention.
Liam Conejo Ramos was with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when agents approached them on their driveway. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE was conducting an operation against Arias, described as an “illegal alien” who “abandoned” his son when approached. However, school officials and the family’s lawyer dispute this narrative.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, questioned the decision to detain a 5-year-old, stating, “You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal.” Photos provided by the school district show the young boy, wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat, standing outside as an officer holds his backpack.
Marc Prokosch, the family’s lawyer, stated that Liam and his father had arrived in the U.S. in 2024 from Ecuador to seek asylum and were adhering to all legal procedures. “This family was not eluding ICE in any way,” Prokosch asserted. He added that the boy and his father were being held at a detention center in San Antonio, Texas, and attorneys were working to contact them.
ICE, in a statement, denied detaining the child, claiming instead that the father “ABANDONED his child as he fled from ICE officers, and our officers ensured the child was kept SAFE in the bitter cold.” The agency also stated they made multiple attempts to get the family inside the house and that the father wanted the child to remain with him.
School officials reported that Liam was the fourth student in their district to be detained by ICE recently. This includes a 10-year-old and two 17-year-olds. Stenvik described the increased ICE activity as “inducing trauma” within the community. The DHS maintains its operations are lawful and focused on individuals posing a threat.
Vice President JD Vance, visiting Minnesota amid protests against immigration enforcement, defended ICE’s actions, stating agents had to ensure the child’s safety in the cold and that the father was an “illegal alien.” The operation, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, has drawn significant criticism from residents and local officials, highlighting growing tensions over immigration enforcement tactics.
The incident has intensified scrutiny on ICE’s enforcement methods, particularly concerning the detention of children and the use of administrative warrants for home entries. The broader context includes ongoing protests in Minneapolis following a fatal shooting by a federal officer and recent congressional votes on funding for DHS, including ICE.