US Immigration Agents Detain 5-Year-Old Boy 'As Bait' to Catch His Father: A Shocking Case of Child Abuse
In a disturbing incident that has left the community outraged, US immigration agents detained a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota after allegedly using him as "bait" to apprehend his father. The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken from his car by federal agents while it was parked in the family's driveway on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, the officers then instructed the child to knock on the door of his home to see if anyone else was inside, effectively using a 5-year-old as bait. The superintendent expressed shock and dismay at the incident, 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, but had not been ordered to leave the country. The father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was allegedly targeted by ICE for deportation.
However, the Department of Homeland Security disputed this account, stating that ICE did not target a child and that one officer remained with Liam during the arrest. They claimed that parents are given the option to be removed with their children or have them placed with someone else.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, where US federal agents have arrested over 3,000 people in recent weeks. Advocates have expressed concerns about the accuracy of these numbers and the treatment of immigrant children.
Liam's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, stated that his client and his father were taken to an immigration lockup in Dilley, Texas, where Liam is reportedly being held in a family holding cell. The lawyer plans to explore legal options to free them or use moral pressure to secure their release.
Conditions at the Dilley detention facility have been described as dire by lawyers who visited last week. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel for Children's Rights, stated that conditions were "worse than ever" and that nearly every child spoke of being sick, malnourished, or experiencing profound suffering due to prolonged detention.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed sympathy with the situation but appeared to downplay the severity of the incident. When asked if there was anything more the federal agents could have done differently, he suggested that letting a 5-year-old child "freeze to death" is not an option in the US.
As the debate over immigration enforcement continues, it's essential to recognize the humanity and dignity of immigrant children like Liam Conejo Ramos. Their safety and well-being should be our top priority, and we must work towards creating a system that prioritizes family unity over punitive measures.
In a disturbing incident that has left the community outraged, US immigration agents detained a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota after allegedly using him as "bait" to apprehend his father. The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken from his car by federal agents while it was parked in the family's driveway on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, the officers then instructed the child to knock on the door of his home to see if anyone else was inside, effectively using a 5-year-old as bait. The superintendent expressed shock and dismay at the incident, 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, but had not been ordered to leave the country. The father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, was allegedly targeted by ICE for deportation.
However, the Department of Homeland Security disputed this account, stating that ICE did not target a child and that one officer remained with Liam during the arrest. They claimed that parents are given the option to be removed with their children or have them placed with someone else.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, where US federal agents have arrested over 3,000 people in recent weeks. Advocates have expressed concerns about the accuracy of these numbers and the treatment of immigrant children.
Liam's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, stated that his client and his father were taken to an immigration lockup in Dilley, Texas, where Liam is reportedly being held in a family holding cell. The lawyer plans to explore legal options to free them or use moral pressure to secure their release.
Conditions at the Dilley detention facility have been described as dire by lawyers who visited last week. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel for Children's Rights, stated that conditions were "worse than ever" and that nearly every child spoke of being sick, malnourished, or experiencing profound suffering due to prolonged detention.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed sympathy with the situation but appeared to downplay the severity of the incident. When asked if there was anything more the federal agents could have done differently, he suggested that letting a 5-year-old child "freeze to death" is not an option in the US.
As the debate over immigration enforcement continues, it's essential to recognize the humanity and dignity of immigrant children like Liam Conejo Ramos. Their safety and well-being should be our top priority, and we must work towards creating a system that prioritizes family unity over punitive measures.
Oh man, this is just heartbreaking... Using a 5-year-old as bait? That's literally child abuse 
. I mean, what's next? Using a puppy to catch someone? 
It's not just the fact that they detained a kid, it's how they did it - like, Liam was essentially left alone in his car with no adult supervision while he was being led into his own home! 
That's terrifying for any parent, let alone one who's trying to navigate an already complex immigration system.
It's just so wrong on every level. We need to do better, folks...
, a 5-year-old boy was used as bait to catch his dad... like what's next? 
As we weigh the complexities of immigration policy, let's not forget the inherent value of innocent lives being torn apart by the machinery of deportation. The fact that Liam is now being held in a family holding cell with dire conditions is nothing short of heartbreaking. 
We must do better. As we strive to create a more just system, we owe it to ourselves, our children, and our values to prioritize compassion, empathy, and humanity above all else. 
anyway, gotta send love to Marc Prokosch's lawyer team & all the advocates working tirelessly 2 get justice 4 these fams 
. Using a kid like that is child abuse in every sense of the word 
. Who gives permission to use a 5-year-old as bait? It's disgusting that the VP seems to be downplaying this and not taking it seriously enough 
.
We need to make sure we're holding people in charge accountable for the harm they're causing to innocent kids like Liam. It's not just about immigration enforcement, it's about basic human rights 
. We should be outraged and demanding action 
!
We should prioritize family unity and the well-being of our kids, not use them as pawns in immigration enforcement. 
and now Liam's stuck in some dingy detention center with no end in sight... we need to do better for our kids 
, and the fact that they told him to knock on the door makes me think it's even more heinous. And what about the conditions at Dilley detention facility? That's just awful 
...
. We need to do better than this.
he's already going through enough being separated from his dad, now they're gonna lock him up too?! 