Democratic lawmakers have launched a fierce condemnation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the detention of a five-year-old boy from Minnesota, who was apprehended alongside his father and transported to Texas. The incident has ignited a political firestorm, with several representatives accusing the agency of inhumane practices and calling for its dissolution.
Outrage Over Child's Detention
Liam Ramos, a preschooler from Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis, was taken into custody on Tuesday as he and his father arrived home from school. According to school officials, an ICE agent reportedly used the child to knock on the family's front door to ascertain if anyone else was inside before detaining both father and son. This action has been described by lawmakers as using the boy as "bait," prompting widespread outrage.
Lawmakers Demand Answers
Joaquin Castro, a representative from Texas, stated that his office has been actively working to locate Liam and secure his release. However, he noted that ICE has been uncooperative, failing to provide necessary information despite acknowledging the inquiry. Castro suspects the child may have been sent to the Dilley detention centre, a family facility near San Antonio. In a video statement, he criticised the Trump administration for its lack of transparency, calling it the least transparent in generations.
Castro went further, advocating for ICE to be disbanded and receive zero funding, accusing the agency of becoming reckless and lawless. He argued that its actions are no longer about immigration enforcement but about abusing individuals.
Widespread Condemnation
Other Democratic lawmakers have echoed these sentiments. Ruben Gallego, a senator from Arizona, questioned the safety rationale behind the operation, highlighting that Liam is just five years old and was used in a manner he described as deeply troubling. Yassamin Ansari, a representative from Arizona, labelled the use of the child as bait "absolutely disgusting," while Jimmy Gomez from California condemned the treatment of families as non-human.
Legal Context and Family's Situation
Marc Prokosch, an attorney representing the Ramos family, clarified that they have followed proper legal procedures. The family has an active asylum case and entered the United States through an official port of entry, meaning they did not arrive illegally. Prokosch emphasised that they are not criminals, a point reinforced by Sydney Kamlager-Dove from California, who stated that the issue is about cruelty rather than criminality.
Conflicting Accounts
The Department of Homeland Security defended the operation, with assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin asserting that ICE was conducting a targeted arrest of the father and did not target the child. She alleged that the father fled on foot, abandoning Liam, and that an officer remained with the boy for his safety. However, school superintendent Zena Stenvik disputed this account, noting that the father's car was still running when she arrived and that both had already been apprehended. She also mentioned that another adult at the home was denied the opportunity to care for Liam.
Broader Implications
This incident is not isolated; Liam is one of four children in the Columbia Heights school district who have been detained by federal immigration agents during a recent enforcement surge in the region over the past two weeks. The case has sparked a broader debate about immigration policies and the treatment of vulnerable individuals under the current administration.
As lawmakers continue to press for accountability and reform, the detention of young children like Liam raises serious questions about the ethics and effectiveness of immigration enforcement practices in the United States.
