What Trump officials and immigration lawyers say about ICE detaining a 5-year-old

In January 2026, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by ICE with his father in a Minneapolis suburb, sparking controversy amid conflicting accounts. School officials allege ICE used the boy to lure his mother out of the house, while the Department of Homeland Security claims the father fled, leaving the child in a running vehicle. This incident follows a recent fatal shooting by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, further fueling tensions. The father and son are now held at a family detention facility in Texas. While officials state the father entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024, the family's attorney asserts he has a pending asylum claim. Court records confirm an immigration case was filed in December 2024 and is being handled by the immigration court inside the Dilley detention center.

In Minneapolis, a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, was detained by ICE agents along with his father on Tuesday after arriving home from preschool. School officials allege the agents used the child as "bait" by instructing him to knock on the door of his home. The family, who arrived in the US in 2024 and has an active asylum case, was taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, the father requested that the child remain with him. School officials questioned the necessity of detaining a young child who poses no apparent threat. This incident marks the fourth student from the Minneapolis suburb to be detained by immigration officers recently.

On January 20, 2026, US ICE officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, detained five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos as he arrived home from preschool. School officials allege the agents used the child to lure out his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who is seeking asylum in the US. According to the school superintendent, the family arrived in the US in 2024 and has an active asylum case. ICE stated they were targeting the father, not the child, and that an officer stayed with the boy for his safety while his father was apprehended. The agency also claims parents can choose to be deported with their children or have them placed with a guardian. School officials report that Liam is the fourth student from the Columbia Heights Public Schools to be detained by ICE in recent weeks.

On January 20, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in a Minneapolis suburb after he arrived home from preschool. According to a school official, the agents took the boy from a car in his driveway and instructed him to knock on the door of his home, which the official described as using him as "bait." The Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent stated that Liam is the fourth student from the district to be detained by immigration officers in recent weeks. The family, who arrived in the U.S. in 2024, has an active asylum case. The boy and his father were reportedly taken to a detention facility in Texas.

On Tuesday in Minnesota, ICE detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam Ramos, along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, during an immigration enforcement operation. Conejo Arias was the target of the operation due to his immigration status and an active asylum case with no deportation order. According to the Department of Homeland Security, an ICE officer stayed with the child for his safety while his father was apprehended, and the agency claims the father abandoned his son when approached. School officials present at the scene stated that another adult in the home was denied the opportunity to take the child inside. The family's lawyer believes they are being held at a detention center in Texas. School officials also reported that ICE recently detained four students in the district, including a 10-year-old and two 17-year-olds.

Five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father were detained by ICE on Tuesday in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, as they arrived home from school. According to the school district superintendent, Liam was allegedly used by an ICE agent to knock on the door to see if anyone else was home. Both Liam and his father were transported to a detention center in Texas. The family's attorney stated they have an active asylum case and entered the U.S. legally at a port of entry. The superintendent also noted that Liam is one of four children in the school district who have been detained by federal immigration agents in recent weeks. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not yet responded to inquiries about the detention.