ICE detained a 5-year-old after preschool, and school officials say he was used as bait

Federal officers detained a five-year-old boy in Minnesota shortly after he returned home from preschool, an incident that school officials say was a deliberate attempt to use the child to apprehend his father. The story gained traction when reported by Al Jazeera.

The incident occurred in Minneapolis, amid ongoing immigration enforcement activity across the state. The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while sitting in a running car in his family’s driveway, according to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik.

Stenvik said the family arrived in the United States in 2024 and has an active asylum case, with no order to leave the country. She raised concerns about the decision to detain a five-year-old during an operation targeting an adult.

School officials say the child was used to draw out others

During a news conference, Stenvik said that after Liam was taken from the car, officers instructed him to knock on the front door of his home. She said the move appeared intended to determine whether other people were inside the residence, describing it as using the child as bait, as scrutiny of ICE protest targeting has intensified in recent days.

The Department of Homeland Security disputed that characterization. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that ICE did not target the child and that the operation was focused on arresting the boy’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who is from Ecuador. She said one officer stayed with the child for safety while others arrested Conejo Arias, adding that parents are given the option to be removed with their children or to place their children with someone they choose.

Stenvik said Liam is the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools to be detained by ICE in recent weeks. She noted that a 17-year-old was detained the same Tuesday while heading to school, and that a 10-year-old and another 17-year-old have also been taken into custody, amid broader disputes involving state leaders.

Family attorney Marc Prokosch said Thursday that Liam and his father were transported to an immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas, where they are believed to be held together. Prokosch said his team is pursuing legal options to seek their release.

Conditions at the Dilley facility have drawn criticism from advocacy groups. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel at Children’s Rights, said after a recent visit that the number of children held there has increased sharply, with many detained for more than 100 days and widespread reports of illness and malnutrition.

Political reactions have varied. During a visit to Minneapolis, Vice President JD Vance referenced the case and questioned what alternatives federal agents had during the arrest, while acknowledging the severity of the situation.

The detentions are part of broader immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota. US Customs and Border Protection official Greg Bovino said roughly 3,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks, though advocates say there is no independent way to verify those figures or the government’s descriptions of those detained.

In a related development, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that three people were arrested in Minneapolis following a protest at a church in St. Paul connected to ICE operations. Those arrested included civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen.