US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained a five-year-old boy during an immigration operation in Minnesota, according to school officials and the family’s lawyer.
The child, Liam Ramos, was with his father when ICE agents approached them outside their home. The Department of Homeland Security later identified the father as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias and said the operation was aimed at him, not the child.
In a statement shared on X, DHS said ICE did not target a minor and claimed the father abandoned his son when officers arrived. The agency said an officer stayed with the child to ensure his safety while others detained the father.
Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent Zena Stenvik strongly questioned the action. Speaking at a press conference, she asked why a five-year-old needed to be detained and said the child could not reasonably be seen as a threat.
Photos shared by the school district and seen by the BBC show a young boy wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat while an officer holds his backpack. School officials described the images as bystander photos taken by trusted community members.
The family’s lawyer, Marc Prokosch, said Liam and his father are believed to be held at a detention centre in Texas. School officials added that the father has an active asylum case and no deportation order.
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