ICE Detains 5-Year-Old Minnesota Boy and Father in Columbia Heights

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, as they arrived home from school on January 20, 2026, according to local school officials. The incident occurred in the family's driveway shortly after Liam returned from his preschool class at Valley View Elementary.

Superintendent Zena Stenvik of Columbia Heights Public Schools reported that upon arrival, ICE agents removed Liam from the still-running vehicle, led him to the front door, and instructed him to knock to see if anyone else was home. Stenvik described this action as "essentially using a 5-year-old as bait." An adult present at the scene offered to care for Liam to prevent his detention, but the request was denied. Liam's older brother returned home 20 minutes later to find both his father and brother missing.

The family has an active asylum case with no deportation order, according to their attorney, Marc Prokosch. He emphasized that they entered the U.S. legally and are not considered criminals. Prokosch believes Liam and his father are currently held together in a Texas detention center.

This incident is part of a series of recent ICE detentions involving students from the Columbia Heights district. On the same day, a 17-year-old high school student was taken by armed and masked agents without parental presence. Earlier in January, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student and her mother were detained on their way to school, and a 17-year-old high school girl and her mother were taken from their apartment.

Superintendent Stenvik expressed deep concern over the impact of these actions on the community, stating that the sense of safety has been shaken and that the children are traumatized. She emphasized the district's priority to keep children safe, noting that they are not violent criminals but little kids.