US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained a 5-year-old boy on Tuesday during an enforcement operation, Minnesota school officials have said, as part of an immigration crackdown in the state.
Pre-schooler Liam Ramos was with his father - named by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias - when Conejo Arias was approached by agents on his driveway.
In a statement posted on X, the DHS said ICE did NOT target a child, but was conducting an operation against his father, an illegal alien who abandoned his son when approached.
Zena Stenvik, the Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent, asked: Why detain a 5-year-old?. You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal, she stated during a press conference.
Photos provided to the BBC by the school district show Liam Ramos, wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat, standing outside as an officer holds onto his backpack. Marc Prokosch, a lawyer representing the family, indicated that Liam and his father were likely being held at a detention centre in Texas and noted that the father had an active asylum case without a deportation order.
School officials were present at the Ramos house to provide support during the incident, and around that time, it was reported that ICE had recently detained a total of four students from Columbia Heights Public Schools, which prompted widespread concern.
Mary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights Public Schools Board of Education, asserted that Our children should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop. These sentiments highlight the ongoing tension between immigration enforcement and community safety, especially in localities with substantial immigrant populations.
The DHS has defended its actions, claiming that the operations are focused on individuals who pose a serious threat to the community, as underscored by Gregory Bovino of the US Border Patrol. However, the emotional and psychological impact of such detentions on families and children is sparking growing unrest and criticism from various circles.
