By Darren Lyn
HOUSTON, United States (AA) - US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a 5-year-old boy from his home in the state of Minnesota, according to media reports on Thursday.
The child was taken by ICE agents from the driveway of his suburban Minneapolis home on Tuesday after returning from preschool and was transported with his father to an immigration facility in Texas.
School officials said at a news conference that Liam Conejo Ramos was removed from the family's car in front of their home and taken by agents.
"Another adult living in the home was outside and begged the agents to let them take care of the small child, but was refused," said Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the Columbia Heights School District.
She added that ICE agents "led him to the door and directed him to knock on the door, asking to be let in, in order to see if anyone else was home, essentially using a 5-year-old as bait."
"Why detain a 5-year-old?" said Stevnik. "You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement to clarify the context of the boy's detainment.
"ICE did NOT target a child," DHS officials posted on US social media company X. "The child was ABANDONED."
According to DHS and ICE officials, the boy's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was the target of an immigration sting due to his illegal immigration status in the US from Ecuador.
Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS and ICE were conducting an operation to arrest the child’s father when he "fled on foot, abandoning his child."
"For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended" the father, said McLaughlin.
US Vice President JD Vance clarified the boy's detainment during a news conference while visiting Minneapolis.
"The father ran. So, the story is that ICE detained a 5-year-old. Well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death?" said Vance. "Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?"
The boy's detainment is being condemned by Minnesota Democrats.
"ICE just detained a 5-year-old child. Don't tell us this is about 'the worst of the worst' " said US Rep. Ilhan Omar in a statement. "That's a lie. Absolutely vile."
Ramos's detention was not the only case of ICE agents detaining students in the Minneapolis area. School officials said three other students were taken by federal agents on Tuesday, including a 17-year-old Columbia Heights High School student who was on the way to school.
"No parents were present. The student was removed from their car and taken away,” said Stenvik, adding that a 10-year-old fourth grader was also taken by ICE agents on her way to school with her mother two weeks ago and now remains in a Texas detention center.