In a development that has captured national attention and inflamed deep community tensions, federal immigration authorities this month detained four students from the Columbia Heights.
Public school district in Minnesota, including a five‑year‑old preschooler, as part of a broader enforcement operation in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region.
The incident involving the 5‑year‑old — identified by school officials as Liam Conejo Ramos — has become a lightning rod for critics of federal immigration enforcement and sparked urgent calls from local leaders, lawmakers, educators, and immigrant advocates for clearer safeguards around how and when children are taken into custody.
Federal officials, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), state the actions were part of an ongoing targeted operation and deny allegations that officers used a young child as “bait.”
The Arrest of a Preschooler and His Father
On Tuesday afternoon, January 20, 2026, immigration agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out an enforcement action at the home of Liam’s family in Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis.
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