Minnesota officials and the Trump administration are at odds over the detention of a five-year-old boy by immigration enforcement in a Minneapolis suburb. School district officials, the family’s attorney, and Mayor Jacob Frey criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining Liam Conejo Ramos after he returned from preschool. Federal officials, including U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, stated that the boy was not a target but was apprehended during the arrest of his father, described as an “illegal alien.”
The superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools revealed that Liam was used “as bait” by ICE agents before being detained with his father. Another adult at the scene tried to take care of the child but was denied by the agents. The agents led the child to the door, asking him to knock and see if anyone else was home.
At a news conference, school officials provided more details about the chaotic situation during the arrest. They witnessed Liam and his father being detained, with the school board chair offering to take the child but not recalling the agents’ response.
Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE did not target the child but were there to arrest his father, who fled and left the child behind for safety. The family’s lawyer confirmed that Liam and his father were held at an immigration processing center in Dilley, Texas.
Vance supported the DHS explanation, emphasizing that ICE agents had no choice but to detain the child for his safety. The lawyer disputed the characterization of Liam’s father as an “illegal alien,” stating that they entered the U.S. legally in 2024 and applied for asylum. Next steps in the defense strategy were discussed, including the possibility of filing a habeas corpus petition.