US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained a five-year-old boy during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, according to school officials and the family’s lawyer.
The child, identified as Liam Ramos, was with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when ICE agents approached them in the driveway of their home in Columbia Heights on Tuesday. School officials said the boy had just returned home from pre-school at the time.
In a statement posted on X, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE did not target the child but was conducting a “targeted operation” against his father, whom it described as an “illegal alien”. The department claimed the father abandoned his son when officers approached, adding that an officer stayed with the child while the arrest took place.
Photos provided by the school district show a young boy wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat standing outside as an officer holds his backpack. The district said the images were taken by bystanders described as confirmed community members.
Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik questioned the decision to detain the child, asking why a five-year-old would be taken into custody. She said the father has an active asylum case and no deportation order.
Marc Prokosch, a lawyer representing the family, told journalists that both the child and his father were likely being held at a detention centre in Texas. School officials said staff were present at the family’s home to provide support around the time of the incident.
According to Stenvik, another adult in the household asked to take the child inside but was not allowed to do so. She said an ICE agent instead asked the child to knock on the door to check if anyone else was home. The reason for the refusal was not clear.
Stenvik also said that ICE had recently detained four students in the school district, including a 10-year-old and two 17-year-olds.
In its statement, the DHS said parents are asked whether they want to be removed with their children or whether ICE should place children with a safe person designated by the parent, adding that this practice is consistent with previous administrations.
The DHS did not immediately respond to a BBC request for further comment.
Mary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights Public Schools Board of Education, said children should not be afraid to go to school or wait at bus stops, and families should not fear dropping off or picking up their children.
The operation was part of a wider immigration enforcement effort known as Operation Metro Surge, which has sparked protests across Minnesota. DHS officials have said the operation targets individuals who pose serious threats to public safety.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Gregory Bovino of the US Border Patrol said the operations were lawful, targeted and focused on dangerous individuals.
Public anger over immigration enforcement has intensified following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal officer in Minneapolis earlier this month. The Trump administration said the officer acted in self-defence after alleging the woman used her vehicle as a weapon.
Vice President JD Vance was scheduled to visit Minnesota on Thursday amid ongoing protests. He told reporters he hoped to calm tensions and said increased cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agencies would reduce mistakes during enforcement operations.
