Federal Immigration Agents Detain 5-Year-Old Boy as 'Bait' in Minnesota
A shocking incident has unfolded in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents detained a 5-year-old boy from his home, leaving the child's family and community reeling. Liam Conejo Ramos, who arrived at school that morning, was taken into custody along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The incident has raised serious questions about the treatment of immigrant children and the tactics employed by ICE.
According to school officials and the family's lawyer, Liam was used as "bait" by the agents, who instructed him to knock on the door of his home while his father waited in a running car. This brazen move left the child vulnerable to potential harm, with school Superintendent Zena Stenvik describing it as "terrifying". The agents allegedly refused to leave Liam with another adult present at the scene or an official from the school district.
The family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, has expressed outrage over the incident and vowed to explore all available options to free his client. Meanwhile, ICE spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin has denied accusations that the agency targeted a child, stating that they were detaining the father for immigration-related issues. However, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation from community leaders, with many accusing ICE of prioritizing enforcement over family safety.
This disturbing case is part of a larger trend of increased immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which has led to the detention of numerous students and families from local schools. According to Children's Rights chief legal counselor Leecia Welch, conditions at the Dilley detention center are worsening, with children facing malnutrition, illness, and prolonged detention.
The incident has also highlighted the trauma caused by ICE's aggressive tactics on Minnesota communities. School board chair Mary Granlund expressed concern over the impact on students' mental health, while community leader Rachel James reported witnessing neighbors being ignored by agents when offering to care for the detained child.
Vice President JD Vance was criticized for downplaying the severity of the incident and justifying detention as a necessary measure to prevent illegal immigration. However, his comments have been met with skepticism from many, who argue that families are already being torn apart due to administrative policies.
The number of detained children has skyrocketed in recent months, with Children's Rights reporting that nearly every child they spoke to was sick and in dire need of medical attention. As the community struggles to come to terms with this disturbing incident, one thing is clear: it's time for policymakers to prioritize family safety and well-being over immigration enforcement tactics.
A shocking incident has unfolded in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents detained a 5-year-old boy from his home, leaving the child's family and community reeling. Liam Conejo Ramos, who arrived at school that morning, was taken into custody along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The incident has raised serious questions about the treatment of immigrant children and the tactics employed by ICE.
According to school officials and the family's lawyer, Liam was used as "bait" by the agents, who instructed him to knock on the door of his home while his father waited in a running car. This brazen move left the child vulnerable to potential harm, with school Superintendent Zena Stenvik describing it as "terrifying". The agents allegedly refused to leave Liam with another adult present at the scene or an official from the school district.
The family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, has expressed outrage over the incident and vowed to explore all available options to free his client. Meanwhile, ICE spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin has denied accusations that the agency targeted a child, stating that they were detaining the father for immigration-related issues. However, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation from community leaders, with many accusing ICE of prioritizing enforcement over family safety.
This disturbing case is part of a larger trend of increased immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which has led to the detention of numerous students and families from local schools. According to Children's Rights chief legal counselor Leecia Welch, conditions at the Dilley detention center are worsening, with children facing malnutrition, illness, and prolonged detention.
The incident has also highlighted the trauma caused by ICE's aggressive tactics on Minnesota communities. School board chair Mary Granlund expressed concern over the impact on students' mental health, while community leader Rachel James reported witnessing neighbors being ignored by agents when offering to care for the detained child.
Vice President JD Vance was criticized for downplaying the severity of the incident and justifying detention as a necessary measure to prevent illegal immigration. However, his comments have been met with skepticism from many, who argue that families are already being torn apart due to administrative policies.
The number of detained children has skyrocketed in recent months, with Children's Rights reporting that nearly every child they spoke to was sick and in dire need of medical attention. As the community struggles to come to terms with this disturbing incident, one thing is clear: it's time for policymakers to prioritize family safety and well-being over immigration enforcement tactics.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Using a 5-year-old as "bait" in an immigration raid is a new low even for ICE. I mean, what kind of operation are they running here? It's not just about detaining the parents, it's about putting innocent children in harm's way. The fact that they wouldn't leave Liam with another adult or school official present is just devastating.
ICE needs to get its act together and start prioritizin family safety over enforcement tactics cuz this is just plain wrong 
my heart goes out 2 lil liam and his fam 
i hope they can get him outta this situation ASAP 
. Who does that? 
Not only did they put the kid in harm's way, but now he's got his whole life turned upside down because of some immigration issue. It's like they forgot he's a human being with feelings and needs 
. As for VP Vance saying it's necessary to prevent illegal immigration... no, just no 
.
a 5 year old being used as bait by ICE agents is literally crazy 
i dont get why they cant just talk to the parents like normal ppl do 
i mean what is wrong with them? and whats even more sad is that lil boy has to go through all this trauma 
. we need to rethink our priorities as a society, plain and simple 
. this is not about keeping our country safe, it's about tearing apart communities and breaking children's trust 
.
ICE needs to get their priorities straight - shouldn't we be focusing on finding adoptive families for these kids instead of chasing after illegal immigration? 
