Minnesota School District Condemns ICE Operations as Fourth Student Detained
In a deeply concerning development for the local community, a five-year-old boy and his father have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota. The incident, which occurred this week, has sparked significant outrage and fear among residents and educational officials alike.
Fourth Student Caught in Recent Enforcement Sweeps
Liam Ramos, aged just five, is now officially recognised as the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools to be swept up in ICE activity within Minneapolis in recent weeks. School district authorities confirmed this troubling statistic during a press conference held on Wednesday, where they voiced strong opposition to what they describe as an aggressive anti-immigration operation.
The detention took place on Tuesday afternoon in the family's driveway, as Liam and his father, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias from Ecuador, returned home from preschool. Photographs released by the school district depict agents leading the young child, who was wearing a backpack and a distinctive blue animal hat, through the snow towards an awaiting SUV.
School Officials Voice Outrage and Concern
Superintendent Zena Stenvik expressed profound dismay at the situation, posing the poignant question: "Why detain a five-year-old?" She further emphasised, "You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." The school district has levelled serious allegations against the ICE agents involved, claiming that once Liam's father was apprehended, an agent removed the child from the still-running vehicle and directed him to knock on the door to ascertain if anyone else was home.
This action, according to school officials, essentially utilised a young child as bait. Another adult present in the home at the time reportedly pleaded with agents to allow them to care for Liam, but this request was refused.
Conflicting Accounts from Homeland Security
Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary, provided a contrasting narrative in a statement. She asserted that the arrest was "part of a targeted operation" and claimed that an ICE officer remained with Liam for his own safety after his father allegedly fled on foot, abandoning the child. McLaughlin stated unequivocally, "ICE did NOT target a child," and outlined standard procedure where parents are given the choice to be removed with their children or to designate a safe person for the child's care.
Legal Status and Community Impact
According to the family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, Liam and his father were subsequently transported to a detention facility in San Antonio, Texas. Prokosch clarified that while they are not U.S. citizens, they have been "following the legal process perfectly, from presenting themselves at the border to applying for asylum and waiting for the process to go through."
The incident has further inflamed existing tensions in Minneapolis, which were already heightened following the fatal shooting of mother-of-three Renee Good, aged 37, by an ICE agent earlier this month. That event triggered widespread protests and civil unrest. The situation is set against a politically charged backdrop, with Vice President JD Vance scheduled to deliver remarks in the city on Thursday, reportedly focused on restoring law and order in Minnesota.
A Pattern of School-Age Detentions Emerges
This is not an isolated case for Columbia Heights Public Schools. The district revealed that just two weeks prior, a ten-year-old fourth-grader was taken by ICE agents alongside her mother while on her way to elementary school. In a separate incident on the same day as Liam's detention, a seventeen-year-old high school student was reportedly removed from their car by armed and masked agents while travelling to school without parents present. Another alleged occurrence last week involved ICE agents pushing their way into an apartment to detain a seventeen-year-old student and her mother.
Profound Effects on School Community
The cumulative effect of these enforcement actions has severely compromised the sense of security within the community. Superintendent Stenvik described staff and students as "shaken," noting that educators maintain brave faces for their pupils throughout the school day while grappling with immense uncertainty about which students will return each morning.
Mary Granlund, Chair of the Columbia Heights Public Schools Board of Education, underscored the fundamental right of students to feel safe, stating they "should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop." She starkly contrasted the resources available, remarking, "At the end of the day, we have whistles, and they have guns."
Liam's teacher, Ella Sullivan, painted a personal picture of the missing child, describing him as a very friendly student who "brightens the room" upon his arrival each morning. She expressed a simple, heartfelt wish shared by many in the community: for Liam to return safely to his classroom and his friends.
