23.01.2026 10:01
In the state of Minnesota, ICE police detained a 5-year-old child along with his father. The incident occurred following the killing of a woman named Renee Good by ICE officers, and allegations that the police used the child in the operation have sparked outrage.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) teams stopped 5-year-old Liam Ramos, who is of preschool age, along with his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias during an immigration check conducted in Minnesota. The incident has sparked widespread public outcry amid claims that the child was also effectively detained.
OFFICIALS: CHILD WAS NOT TARGETED
According to information reported by The Guardian, the Department of Homeland Security stated in a post on the social media platform X that the operation was conducted directly against the father and that the child was not targeted. In the statement, the father was described as an "illegal immigrant," and it was alleged that he fled, leaving his child behind as the officers approached.
ICE claimed that the child was not officially detained and that the officers were only ensuring the child's safety in the freezing weather conditions.
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION'S STRONG REACTION
Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik stated that the incident was unacceptable, saying, "Who can explain why a five-year-old child was detained? Is it possible to see this child as a violent criminal?"
In photos shared by the school administration, a small child wearing a rabbit-themed hat was seen next to an ICE officer with a backpack.
CLAIM OF "CHILD USED IN OPERATION"
School officials reported that an ICE officer asked the child to knock on the door of the house and check if there was anyone else inside. It was noted that another adult living in the house wanted to let the child inside, but was not allowed to do so.
School board member Mary Granlund also stated that she was in the area at the time of the incident and expressed that although she could take Liam, the child was taken away.
JD VANCE: THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION
U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended ICE officers during his visit to Minnesota. Vance expressed that the operation was legitimate, saying, "The father fled. Should a five-year-old child have been allowed to freeze in the cold?"
Vance also stated that having a child could not be a barrier to being detained.
FAMILY: WE COMPLIED WITH THE ASYLUM PROCESS
The family's attorney Marc Prokosch announced at a press conference that Liam and his father were being held at a detention center in San Antonio, Texas. Prokosch emphasized that the family arrived in the U.S. from Ecuador in 2024 with an asylum request and complied with all legal procedures. The attorney stated, "They did not flee from ICE. They cooperated with the authorities throughout the process."
WOMAN NAMED RENEE GOOD WAS KILLED
On January 7, a federal officer shooting and killing a woman named Renee Good in Minneapolis triggered protests. The Trump administration claimed that 37-year-old Good used her vehicle as a weapon and that the officer acted in self-defense.