Minnesota Kindergartener Taken: Inside ICE's Controversial Detentions in Suburban Minneapolis

Amid a series of immigration crackdowns, a 5-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos was seized by federal agents in Minnesota, becoming the fourth student detained from a Minneapolis suburb. The incident raises questions about the use of minors in immigration sweeps, as his father, sought by ICE, was also detained.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Minneapolis | Updated: 23-01-2026 08:13 IST | Created: 23-01-2026 08:13 IST
Minnesota Kindergartener Taken: Inside ICE's Controversial Detentions in Suburban Minneapolis
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A 5-year-old boy from Minnesota, Liam Conejo Ramos, was detained by federal agents alongside his father, raising concerns in the Minneapolis suburb community. The child was taken directly from his home's driveway, prompting uproar among residents and school officials who decry the targeting of young children in immigration operations.

According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, the agents used Liam as an unwitting participant by having him knock on his own front door during the federal operation. Despite alternatives being offered, officers insisted on taking the child with his father to a detention center in Dilley, Texas.

The incident is part of a broader federal focus on Minnesota for immigration enforcement, which has seen thousands of arrests in recent weeks. The situation has left families and school districts grappling with trauma and uncertainty as they seek legal avenues to reunite children with their parents.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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