‘Used as bait’: ICE detains 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis – 10 things to know
The detention of a five-year-old boy by US immigration agents in Minneapolis has triggered outrage in the United States and intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement drive. The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken into custody alongside his father while arriving home from preschool, becoming the youngest known detainee in a series of recent operations targeting immigrant families in Minnesota.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed the boy’s detention on Thursday, describing his initial reaction as shock before defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing officers were left with no alternative after the child’s father allegedly fled. His remarks have done little to calm anger among local officials, educators and rights groups, who say children are being swept up in enforcement actions with little regard for their welfare.
10 things to know about what happened:
A five-year-old detained while arriving home from school
Liam Conejo Ramos was detained on Tuesday afternoon as he arrived home from preschool in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, according to school officials and the family’s lawyer. He was taken with his father from their driveway and later transferred to federal custody in Texas.
Officers accused of using child as ‘bait’
School officials say an ICE agent removed Liam from a still-running car and instructed him to knock on his front door to see if anyone else was inside. The superintendent described the act as “essentially using a five-year-old as bait”.
Federal officials defend tactics amid mounting backlash
Vice President Vance and DHS officials have defended ICE’s conduct, urging peaceful protest while warning of prosecutions for disorder. Minnesota officials are seeking a court order to temporarily halt the enforcement operations.
Conflicting accounts over whether the father fled
The Department of Homeland Security claims the father ran from officers, abandoning his child. Local officials and school leaders dispute that version, saying another adult was present and willing to take custody of the boy.
Offers to care for the child were allegedly refused
School administrators, a school board chair and neighbours say multiple adults offered to take Liam to prevent his detention, but agents declined. ICE disputes this, saying parents are given options regarding their children.
The family has an active asylum case
Liam and his father are not US citizens but entered the country through an official port of entry in 2024 and applied for asylum. There is no deportation order against them, according to their lawyer.
The child and father are being held in Texas
Both are believed to be detained at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. The family’s lawyer says they have been unable to make direct contact and is exploring legal options for their release.
Conditions at the detention centre have raised alarms
Children’s rights advocates report severe overcrowding, illness and prolonged detention at the Dilley facility, with some children held for more than 100 days. Officials say the number of detained children has surged.
Three other students detained in the same school district
Liam is the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools detained this month. Other cases include a 10-year-old and two teenagers, one of whom was taken while heading to school.
Schools report fear, trauma and falling attendance
School leaders say ICE agents have been seen circling schools, following buses and entering school grounds. Attendance has dropped sharply, with some families keeping children home out of fear.Minneapolis and neighbouring St Paul have become flashpoints in a broader federal crackdown that has seen thousands of agents deployed and roughly 3,000 arrests made in six weeks, according to border officials.
