ICE Detains Four Children From Minnesota School District

Federal immigration agents have detained four students from a Minnesota school district in recent weeks, including a 5-year-old boy, prompting school officials to voice concerns about the tactics used and the impact on families in their community.

The detention of the young boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, occurred on Tuesday when ICE agents approached his family's home as he arrived from preschool. According to school officials, the child was removed from a vehicle and directed by agents to knock on the family's door to check if anyone else was home. His father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was also taken into custody during the operation.

Background

The detentions represent part of what federal officials describe as expanded immigration enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the operation targeting the boy's father was a targeted action against someone described as an illegal alien from Ecuador who had been released into the country during the previous administration.

School officials said the family had a pending asylum case and no deportation order directing their removal from the United States at the time of the detention. The case has drawn attention as immigration enforcement actions have intensified in recent weeks.

Key Details

The 5-Year-Old's Detention

School officials described the circumstances of the 5-year-old's detention as troubling. They said that another adult in the home begged agents to allow them to care for the child, but was refused. The agents then removed the child from the vehicle and directed him to knock on the door, according to the school's account.

"The agent took the child out of the still-running vehicle, led him to the door, and directed him to knock — asking to be let in to see if anyone else was home — essentially using a 5-year-old as bait," school officials said in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security disputed this characterization. A DHS spokesperson said the father fled on foot and abandoned his child, and that an ICE officer remained with the child for safety purposes while other officers apprehended the father.

Other Detentions

Three other students from the school district were also detained by immigration authorities in recent weeks. Two weeks before the 5-year-old's detention, a 10-year-old fourth grader was detained by ICE agents on her way to elementary school with her mother. School officials said the child called her father to inform him that ICE agents were bringing her to school. By the end of the school day, both the child and mother were in a detention center in Texas, where they remained at the time school officials made their statement.

On Wednesday, a 17-year-old high school student was detained by what school officials described as armed and masked agents.

Official Response and Policy

The Department of Homeland Security stated that its policy is to ask parents whether they want to be removed with their children or prefer that the children be placed with a safe person they designate. DHS said this approach is consistent with immigration enforcement practices from previous administrations.

School board officials expressed concern about the impact on their community. Board Chair Mary Granlund said in a statement:

"Our children should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop. Their families should not be afraid to drop off or pick up their children from school."

School officials also alleged that the Department of Homeland Security was denying legal counsel to Minnesota detainees, though specific details about this allegation were not provided in their statement.

What This Means

The detentions highlight the tension between federal immigration enforcement and local communities. School districts have traditionally been viewed as sensitive locations where enforcement actions are limited, though recent operations suggest those boundaries may be shifting.

The cases raise questions about how immigration enforcement is conducted when children are involved. The disagreement between school officials and DHS about what happened during the 5-year-old's detention reflects broader disputes about enforcement tactics and their appropriateness.

The detentions also come as the administration appears to be expanding immigration operations to other states. Federal officials have announced operations in Maine as part of what they are calling broader enforcement efforts.

For the school district, the detentions of four students have created anxiety among families and staff about the safety of students and whether schools remain protected spaces. Officials said parents are now concerned about dropping off and picking up their children.