ICE Officers Accused of Using Five-Year-Old as 'Bait' in Minneapolis Immigration Raid
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been accused of detaining a five-year-old boy and allegedly using him as 'bait' to capture his father during a controversial operation in Minneapolis. The incident has sparked significant outrage from local school officials and raised serious questions about immigration enforcement tactics.
Details of the Controversial Operation
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE agents snatched five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from a running vehicle on Tuesday. Stenvik claims the child was then instructed to knock on a house door to lure his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, outside. 'Essentially using a five-year-old as bait,' Stenvik stated during a press conference on Wednesday, questioning why immigration authorities would detain such a young child.
The father and son have since been transported more than 1,000 miles from their Minneapolis home to a holding facility in Texas, according to family lawyer Marc Prokosch. The family reportedly has an active asylum case and has not received any deportation orders.
Conflicting Accounts from Authorities
The White House has presented a markedly different version of events. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement asserting that 'ICE did NOT target a child' and that officers had arrived to arrest Conejo Arias, an Ecuadorian national. According to McLaughlin, when the father attempted to flee on foot, 'abandoning his child,' one ICE officer remained with the boy for safety reasons while others apprehended the father.
McLaughlin further explained that parents in such situations are typically given the choice to be removed with their children or have them placed with a designated individual. However, Stenvik countered this claim, stating there was another adult present during the incident whom agents refused to allow to take custody of Liam.
Broader Context of Increased ICE Activity
This incident occurs amidst a significant ramp-up of ICE presence in Minneapolis under directives from US President Donald Trump. Liam represents the fourth school student detained by immigration authorities in recent weeks, following the apprehension of two seventeen-year-olds and a ten-year-old. The increased enforcement has created widespread anxiety within immigrant communities.
School attendance has reportedly plummeted dramatically in recent weeks, with some classes experiencing reductions of up to two-thirds, according to Superintendent Stenvik. This climate of fear follows another recent incident where an ICE agent shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Good.
Community Response and Legal Situation
Liam's teacher, Ella Sullivan, described the five-year-old as 'kind and loving' and expressed that his classmates miss him dearly. 'All I want is for him to be safe and back here,' Sullivan stated, reflecting the emotional impact on the school community.
Family lawyer Marc Prokosch emphasized that the family has been complying fully with all immigration procedures regarding their asylum claim. 'Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they've been asked to do,' Prokosch noted, adding that the current situation represents 'just cruelty.' The pair remain in a family holding cell in Texas as their legal situation continues to develop.
