The news that spread this week out of Minnesota was painful for many people to read. A 5-year-old was detained by ICE: A boy named Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody by ICE, alongside his father after arriving home from preschool.
What makes this story especially difficult is not only the age of the child but the difference between how local officials describe what happened and what federal authorities say took place.
What the Community and Witnesses Are Saying
On Tuesday, Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were taken by ICE agents in Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis. School officials from Liam’s district confirmed that the family has an active asylum case and there was no order for them to be deported at the time of the arrest.
This means that even though they had filed to stay in the United States through the legal asylum process, they were still detained.
According to statements from the school, the moment was chaotic and frightening for those involved. Liam had just returned from preschool and was in his driveway when the agents arrived. An adult at the home reportedly offered to look after the child so Liam could stay safe while officers dealt with his father.
That offer was refused, and school officials say an ICE agent instead took Liam out to the front of the house and asked the boy to knock on the door to see if anyone else was inside.
Some witnesses and local leaders have described that moment as using the child “as bait,” a phrase that has sparked widespread concern and condemnation from parents and advocates.
What DHS is Saying
From the federal government’s point of view, Department of Homeland Security officials say Liam was not the target of the operation. They claim that the father fled when agents approached him, leaving the child behind, and that one agent stayed with Liam “for the child’s safety” while the rest focused on detaining Adrian.
DHS also stated that parents have the option to designate a safe adult to take care of children if they are detained, a policy the agency says is consistent with past practice.
These two versions of events sit side by side in the public record, and that gap is exactly what has fueled the emotional response from so many people.
Children Detained by ICE
For many families and community members, the idea that a 5-year-old was detained by ICE, that a preschooler could be swept up in a federal immigration operation, is deeply unsettling. Leaders in the Columbia Heights Public Schools district have spoken publicly about how this and other recent detentions have created fear among students.
They say that agents have been seen around schools and bus stops, leading some young children and families to feel afraid to go about their ordinary routines.
This isn’t an isolated issue either. School officials report that multiple children from the district were detained by immigration authorities in recent weeks, including older students as well as a 10-year-old, raising further concerns about the broader impact on kids, families, and the sense of safety in the community.
Taken far from Home
After the detentions, Liam and his father were reportedly transferred to a family residential center in Texas, far from their home in Minnesota.
These centers have been controversial for years, with many advocates saying they are not suitable environments for children and that the long distance from home makes it harder for families to get legal help. Some lawmakers, including Representative Joaquin Castro, have publicly called for transparency and a reevaluation of how these policies are being carried out.
What’s clear from this situation is that the way immigration enforcement is being conducted — especially when children are involved — strikes a chord far beyond the headlines.
They Came Here Legally
People are asking questions about how families are treated when they seek safety, how children’s emotional wellbeing is protected, and what justice looks like in these situations.
The family’s lawyer has stood by them, saying that both Liam and his father followed the proper asylum process when they came to the United States.
He emphasized that they had used the official system, including making an appointment through the required mobile app to present themselves at the border, in hopes of being allowed to enter safely.
Conpassion and Empathy
For many readers, this story is a reminder that behind every immigration case, especially one involving a young child, there are real people with real hopes and fears. One side sees law enforcement carrying out its duties.
The other sees a frightened child pulled from his home and transported hundreds of miles away from familiar faces. And for communities where these events are playing out day after day, the ripple effects — in school hallways, playgrounds, and living rooms — can be hard to measure but impossible to ignore.
As this situation continues to unfold, it’s important to keep listening to every voice involved — officials, legal advocates, and, most importantly, families like Liam’s who are living through it.
Compassionate conversations rooted in the truth can help us understand not just what happened, but what it feels like for the people at the center of these stories.
In times of deep national debate about immigration, stories like this one remind us to look beyond statistics and soundbites to the hearts of people just trying to find safety and opportunity for their families. ❤️🗽
