Five-Year-Old and Father Detained by ICE in Minnesota Amid Controversy

Fri Jan 23 2026 20:37:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The detention of a five-year-old boy and his father by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota has sparked outrage, raising questions about child welfare and immigration enforcement practices.

In Minnesota, ICE detained a five-year-old boy named Liam Ramos along with his father during an immigration operation, leading to public outcry and questions about the treatment of children in such situations. Officials have criticized the detention, calling it unnecessary and traumatic for the child. The operation, part of a broader initiative, has faced backlash from the community and ignited debate around immigration enforcement and children's safety.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a five-year-old boy on Tuesday during an immigration enforcement operation, according to Minnesota school officials and the family's lawyer.

Pre-schooler Liam Ramos was with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when agents approached him on his driveway. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that ICE did NOT target a child, asserting that they were conducting an operation against his father, an illegal alien who abandoned his son when approached.

Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent Zena Stenvik questioned, “Why detain a five-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal.” Despite ICE’s denial of the detention, they claimed the child was kept safe in the cold while the father fled.

Photos of Liam, wearing a bunny-shaped hat, accompanied an ICE agent holding onto his backpack. The school district described these pictures as having been taken by confirmed community members.

Lawyer Marc Prokosch revealed that Liam and his father are now held in a detention center in San Antonio, Texas, having fled from Ecuador seeking asylum in the US in 2024. Prokosch insisted, This family was not eluding ICE in any way; they were following all the established protocols.

During the detention, other adults in the home expressed willingness to take Liam inside, but were refused. Local school board member Mary Granlund even offered to take him, but ICE proceeded with the detention.

Amid protests against the immigration enforcement initiative, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, US Vice-President JD Vance defended ICE’s actions, stating, What are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death? He argued that ICE was fulfilling its duty to enforce U.S. immigration law.

The incident has amplified concerns regarding ICE's recent activities in the community, including the reported detention of four other students in schools in the area.

Stenvik highlighted the trauma induced by ICE activities in Columbia Heights and expressed concerns for the safety and wellbeing of students as this operation continues.