US Immigration Agents Use 5-Year-Old Boy as 'Bait' to Arrest Father Seeking Asylum
Federal agents have detained a five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, after allegedly using him "as bait" to apprehend his father, who is seeking asylum in the US. The incident occurred at the family's home in Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the school official, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE officers took the child from a running car while it was parked in the driveway and told him to knock on the door to see if anyone else was inside. This action, she said, "essentially used a five-year-old as bait."
Stenvik expressed her concern about the situation, asking, "Why detain a five-year-old? You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." The family, who arrived in the US in 2024, has an active asylum case and had not been ordered to leave the country.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that "ICE did NOT target a child" but acknowledged that the operation was intended to arrest Liam's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. McLaughlin added that parents have the option to be removed with their children or have them placed in a person of their choosing.
This incident is not an isolated case, as four students from Columbia Heights Public Schools have been detained by ICE in recent weeks. A 17-year-old student was taken on Tuesday while heading to school, and two other students were also apprehended.
The family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, stated that Liam and his father were taken to an immigration lockup in Dilley, Texas, and assumed they were being held in a family holding cell. The lawyer said the family is exploring legal options to free them through "some legal mechanisms or moral pressure."
A lawyer who visited the Dilley detention facility last week reported worsening conditions, with many children suffering from illnesses and malnutrition. nearly every child spoken to by Welch was sick.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed shock at the situation but seemed unwilling to accept blame for ICE's actions. He suggested that federal agents cannot be held accountable for apprehending undocumented immigrants in the US.
The ongoing immigration raids across Minnesota have resulted in the arrest of over 3,000 people. Advocates raise concerns about the accuracy of the government's arrest numbers and descriptions of those in custody.
Federal agents have detained a five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, after allegedly using him "as bait" to apprehend his father, who is seeking asylum in the US. The incident occurred at the family's home in Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the school official, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE officers took the child from a running car while it was parked in the driveway and told him to knock on the door to see if anyone else was inside. This action, she said, "essentially used a five-year-old as bait."
Stenvik expressed her concern about the situation, asking, "Why detain a five-year-old? You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." The family, who arrived in the US in 2024, has an active asylum case and had not been ordered to leave the country.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that "ICE did NOT target a child" but acknowledged that the operation was intended to arrest Liam's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. McLaughlin added that parents have the option to be removed with their children or have them placed in a person of their choosing.
This incident is not an isolated case, as four students from Columbia Heights Public Schools have been detained by ICE in recent weeks. A 17-year-old student was taken on Tuesday while heading to school, and two other students were also apprehended.
The family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, stated that Liam and his father were taken to an immigration lockup in Dilley, Texas, and assumed they were being held in a family holding cell. The lawyer said the family is exploring legal options to free them through "some legal mechanisms or moral pressure."
A lawyer who visited the Dilley detention facility last week reported worsening conditions, with many children suffering from illnesses and malnutrition. nearly every child spoken to by Welch was sick.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed shock at the situation but seemed unwilling to accept blame for ICE's actions. He suggested that federal agents cannot be held accountable for apprehending undocumented immigrants in the US.
The ongoing immigration raids across Minnesota have resulted in the arrest of over 3,000 people. Advocates raise concerns about the accuracy of the government's arrest numbers and descriptions of those in custody.
how can they do that to a 5-year-old kid? using him as bait to catch his dad? it's just not right 
ICE needs to seriously rethink their tactics, this isn't a game for kids' lives 
and what about all the other families who have been affected by these raids? so many people are being torn away from their loved ones without due process... it's heartbreaking 
but let's not lose hope here, there are people who care, like the schools superintendent and the lawyer who's fighting for Liam and his dad. and btw, it's not just about the kids, it's about the system too... we need to talk about how we can improve these processes so this never happens again 
i cant even imagine how scared that little kid must be rn 
and it's not like this is an isolated case, like 4 other students have been detained by ICE in recent weeks... it's getting out of hand 
. parents who can't even trust their own child's safety shouldn't be the ones facing deportation 
it's like, what kind of world are we living in?! 
where do you even draw the line between catching bad guys and putting kids in harm's way?! 
but at the same time, i'm also thinking about lil' liam conejo ramos 
poor kid didn't do anything wrong, he just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time 
it's just not right, you're taking away people's rights and dignity, especially when they're already scared and vulnerable. I mean, ICE says the kid wasn't targeted but that doesn't sound like much of an excuse to me. 
just no!!!