ICE Detained 5-Year-Old Boy as 'Bait' to Catch Family Seeking Asylum, Says School District
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has come under fire for its actions against a family seeking asylum in the United States. In a shocking incident, ICE officers detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, at his home in Minneapolis after he was returning from school.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, Liam's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was also apprehended by the agents. The reason behind this move is that ICE claimed Liam's father had fled on foot after being confronted by officers, but Stenvik disputed this claim. She stated that ICE used the 5-year-old boy as "bait" to get his family members to surrender.
The school district's superintendent expressed her outrage and frustration with the actions taken by ICE officials. "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal," she said, highlighting the cruel nature of the agency's behavior.
ICE officers allegedly told another adult living in the house to leave and go back home while they checked on the situation, but he was refused. Instead, the agents took Liam out of his car and asked him to knock on the door to see if anyone else was home, essentially using a child as bait.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that Liam's father was "abandoned" after running away from the scene, but this explanation has been disputed by family representatives. The boy and his father were moved to a holding cell, where they are being held without information on their location or next steps in their immigration process.
Lawyer Marc Prokosch, representing Ramos' family, described the incident as "cruelty" and added that every step of their immigration process has been followed as instructed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the actions taken by ICE officers, stating that Minnesotans want safety, freedom, and what's best for their children.
The situation drew widespread criticism from politicians and human rights advocates. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) described the move as "horrific," while Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called it "absolutely disgraceful." The incident has highlighted the need for reform in the U.S. immigration system, which prioritizes family unity and children's well-being over enforcement actions.
As the situation unfolds, many are left to wonder how such treatment can be justified, especially when it involves vulnerable children like Liam Conejo Ramos.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has come under fire for its actions against a family seeking asylum in the United States. In a shocking incident, ICE officers detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, at his home in Minneapolis after he was returning from school.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, Liam's father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was also apprehended by the agents. The reason behind this move is that ICE claimed Liam's father had fled on foot after being confronted by officers, but Stenvik disputed this claim. She stated that ICE used the 5-year-old boy as "bait" to get his family members to surrender.
The school district's superintendent expressed her outrage and frustration with the actions taken by ICE officials. "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal," she said, highlighting the cruel nature of the agency's behavior.
ICE officers allegedly told another adult living in the house to leave and go back home while they checked on the situation, but he was refused. Instead, the agents took Liam out of his car and asked him to knock on the door to see if anyone else was home, essentially using a child as bait.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that Liam's father was "abandoned" after running away from the scene, but this explanation has been disputed by family representatives. The boy and his father were moved to a holding cell, where they are being held without information on their location or next steps in their immigration process.
Lawyer Marc Prokosch, representing Ramos' family, described the incident as "cruelty" and added that every step of their immigration process has been followed as instructed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the actions taken by ICE officers, stating that Minnesotans want safety, freedom, and what's best for their children.
The situation drew widespread criticism from politicians and human rights advocates. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) described the move as "horrific," while Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called it "absolutely disgraceful." The incident has highlighted the need for reform in the U.S. immigration system, which prioritizes family unity and children's well-being over enforcement actions.
As the situation unfolds, many are left to wonder how such treatment can be justified, especially when it involves vulnerable children like Liam Conejo Ramos.
i mean what kind of people do that to a 5 year old kid? they're using him as bait to catch his family members which is just plain cruel 
and who do these people think they are, making decisions about the lives of innocent kids? i can imagine how scared that little boy must be right now. it's not right that ICE has to deal with immigration issues but this is just ridiculous 
the fact that they thought it was okay to detain a child and put him through all this stress is just unbelievable. i'm so glad minnesota governor tim walz condemned these actions, but like we need way more than just condemnations 
we need actual change now. the u.s. immigration system needs to be overhauled to prioritize family unity and children's well-being. this is not what america stands for 
This is just so wrong... like what even is the point of using a 5-year-old as bait? Is ICE really going to use a child's safety and well-being for their own "enforcement" purposes? 
They're basically saying that if you want your family together, you have to let us separate them, right? It's like they don't care that kids are being traumatized in the process... 
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. children are not violent criminals, they're scared and vulnerable kids who deserve protection and care, not exploitation 
. this whole thing just stinks and i'm so glad minnesota's governor said something about it 
. we need to make sure that kind of thing never happens again 
. Meanwhile, 1.7M+ minors are affected by family detention since 2019 
. The cost of detaining one family can exceed $500K 
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. Let's get real about our priorities and reform our system to prioritize the well-being of our kids 
. This whole situation is a perfect example of why we need reform in our immigration system ASAP 
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. This kind of treatment is unacceptable, especially when you have kids involved 
.
. i mean what kinda training do these ice agents need? they gotta be joking, right? a kid is innocent, he doesn't even know what's going on, and they just use him like some kinda pawn in this twisted game of deportation. it's so sad for that little boy and his family, they're already in this scary situation, now they gotta deal with this heartless treatment too 
. seriously though, what needs to change here? we need more people speaking out against this kind of cruelty and advocating for reform. our kids are counting on us to make sure they're protected, not used as pawns in some bureaucratic game 
. ICE needs to rethink their entire approach to immigration, prioritizing families over enforcement actions. This child is not a threat to anyone, he's just a kid who deserves love, care, and protection 
. The fact that the school district superintendent is calling for reform is long overdue 
. We need to stand up against this kind of cruel treatment and demand better from our institutions 
ICE's actions seem so inhumane and cruel, it's hard to fathom how anyone can justify such behavior. The fact that they're holding the little boy and his father in a cell without any information on their next steps is just devastating. 
. As a society, we need to stand up for children's rights and make sure they're protected from abuse.
. We need to reform this system ASAP so families aren't torn apart like this 
.
. We need to hold our politicians accountable for their actions and demand real change in the way we treat asylum seekers 
. This is just another example of how broken our system is