US Immigration Agents Detain Two-Year-Old Minnesota Girl in 'Depravity Beyond Words'
Federal immigration agents have detained a two-year-old girl and her father in Minneapolis, transporting them to Texas before a judge ordered the child's release, according to court records and family attorneys. The incident, described by lawyers as "depravity beyond words", has ignited fierce criticism and renewed scrutiny of aggressive enforcement practices.
Arrest and Detention Details
The father, identified in court filings as Elvis Joel TE, and his daughter were stopped and detained by officers around 1pm on Thursday while returning home from a store. Agents entered their backyard and driveway area without a warrant, according to attorney Kira Kelley. One agent allegedly broke the glass window of the father's car while the girl was inside.
The mother was by the door and stepped inside the house as agents approached. Lawyers state that agents refused to allow the father to bring his daughter to the mother or other family members "waiting terrified inside the home". The two-year-old and her father were then placed in an immigration agent's vehicle, which lacked a car seat.
Legal Battle and Texas Transfer
Lawyers filed an emergency petition demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release the pair. A Minnesota-based federal judge issued an order around 8.10pm prohibiting the government from transferring them outside Minnesota, followed by a second order requiring the immediate release of the girl into her attorney's custody.
The judge cited "risk of irreparable harm" and noted the toddler had no criminal history. Despite this, government officials placed the father and daughter on a flight to Texas around 8.30pm. The father, originally from Ecuador, has a pending asylum application and no final removal order.
Release and Ongoing Controversy
By late Friday afternoon, immigration officials had flown both back to Minnesota and released the two-year-old into her mother's custody, while the father remains detained. Attorney Irina Vaynerman condemned the actions, stating, "The horror is truly unimaginable. The depravity of all of this is beyond words."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed in a statement that border patrol was conducting a "targeted enforcement operation" and identified Elvis Joel TE as an "illegal immigrant" who unlawfully reentered the US and was "driving erratically with a child". DHS alleged the father refused to open his door or lower his window and said agents "attempted to give the child to the mother who was in the area, but she refused".
Vaynerman disputed this, asserting agents would not let the father return his daughter to the home. During the arrest, a crowd gathered, leading agents to deploy "crowd control measures", with social media videos reportedly showing chemical irritants and flash-bang devices.
Broader Implications and Criticism
This case follows ICE's detention of a five-year-old boy in Minnesota earlier in the week, prompting international backlash. Vaynerman criticised DHS's practice of quickly transferring detainees out of state, arguing it moves cases out of Minnesota court jurisdiction and hinders legal access.
"This is creating terror in our city and state. It's something I truly have never ever seen before to this extreme," she said. Lawyers have urged the court to issue a broader order blocking out-of-state transfers for at least seven days post-detention to allow legal contact.
Vaynerman added, "The lack of humanity at every step of this process... it's truly unimaginable. And yet this is where we find ourselves. There has to be an end to this type of cruelty." The girl has lived in Minneapolis since arriving in the US as a newborn, highlighting the personal impact of such enforcement actions.
