A horrifying scene unfolded in broad daylight in South Minneapolis when federal immigration agents detained a 5‑year‑old kindergartener, allegedly using the child as bait to draw his family from their home, according to multiple local and national reports.
School leaders in the suburban Minneapolis district are outraged at what they call a traumatizing and unnecessary tactic — one that has left parents, teachers, and community members questioning just how far U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will go in its latest enforcement surge.
The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was returning home from preschool with his father in their Columbia Heights driveway when ICE agents in masks arrested them both on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Washington Post, the family, school officials say, has an active asylum case and no deportation order.
But what has stoked the most fury is the superintendent’s description of what followed. According to Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, agents removed the child from a running vehicle, then directed him to knock on his own front door so they could check whether other residents were home — a tactic she said amounted to using a 5‑year‑old as “bait.”
“Why detain a 5‑year‑old? You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal,” Stenvik said at a press conference, visibly shaken by the episode.
According to Patch and MPR News, another adult present reportedly begged ICE agents to let them care for the child, but was refused, reinforcing school officials’ claims of reckless insensitivity to the boy’s safety.
After the detention, both Liam and his father were transported hundreds of miles to a Texas detention center, where they remain in custody, the reports say. The family’s lawyer told MPR News he believes they are likely in a family detention facility — but the precise location is unclear.
Liam is just one of four students from the district taken into ICE custody in recent weeks, according to local officials. Other incidents include a 10‑year‑old girl detained with her mother on the way to school and older teenagers picked up in separate episodes.
Teachers and community members say the string of detentions has created an atmosphere of fear among students and families. Patch quoted Liam’s teacher describing him as “a bright young student” whose classmates now miss him and worry about their own safety.
ICE officials have declined to comment, with the Department of Homeland Security saying publicly that the child was not a target and that officers remained with him for his safety while they arrested his father — a claim local officials dispute.
The Minnesota incident has reignited national debate over immigration enforcement tactics and the psychological toll on children caught in the crossfire — a debate that shows no signs of cooling as advocacy groups and lawmakers weigh in.
