The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is significantly ramping up immigration enforcement and oversight operations across Minnesota. The ‘arrest’ of a 5-year-old boy arriving home from preschool in Minnesota has intensified the nationwide protests, which were triggered after a 37-year-old Minnesota woman, Renee Nicole Good, was shot dead by an ICE agent earlier this month.
The US Immigration officials have taken into custody at least four children from the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris also fumed against the detension and said he is “just a child”.
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Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by the immigration officials in a running car in the family’s driveway on Tuesday afternoon. According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, the officials used him as a “bait” to knock on the door of his home to see if people were inside the home.
Stenvik said that the officials won’t leave Liam to any other adult or school officials.
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Liam’s family came to the US in 2024 and has an active asylum case. They were not ordered to leave the country, said Stenvik.
“Why detain a 5-year-old? You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal,” she said.
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With ICE facing severe backlash, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughl, in a statement, said, “ICE did NOT target a child.” She added that the ICE was arresting the child’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who McLaughlin said is from Ecuador and in the US illegally. He fled on foot, “abandoning his child,” she said.
“For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,” Tricia added.
In the last six weeks, immigration officers have made about 3,000 arrests in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance defended ICE’s action. While meeting the Minneapolis leaders on Thursday, he said he heard the “terrible story” but later learned the boy was only detained, not arrested.
“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?” said Vance, noting that he’s the parent of a 5-year-old.
Before Liam, A 17-year-old was taken on Tuesday while heading to school, and a 10-year-old and a 17-year-old have also been taken, Stenvik said.
