• A five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, was detained by ICE agents in Minnesota.
• School officials allege he was used as "bait" to apprehend his father, who is seeking asylum.
• Over the past weeks, multiple students from Columbia Heights Public Schools have faced similar detentions.
• The family has an active asylum case and was not under a deportation order.
• DHS defends the operation, claiming the child was abandoned during the arrest of his father.

In Minnesota, a five-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by federal immigration agents as part of a broader crackdown on undocumented individuals. Agents reportedly removed Liam from a running car in his driveway, instructing him to knock on the door of his home to see if other individuals were present, which has led to accusations that they used the child as "bait" to apprehend his father. School Superintendent Zena Stenvik voiced her concerns, questioning the rationale behind detaining a young child, emphasizing that "this child is not going to be classified as a violent criminal," according to India Times and ABC News.

Concerns about children's safety during immigration enforcement have intensified as this incident follows the detention of several other minors from the same school district. In recent weeks, at least four students—including a ten-year-old girl who was taken with her mother—have been detained in separate incidents, greatly affecting school attendance due to fear among families. Stenvik reported that some schools in the area saw nearly 40% absentee rates as parents kept children home for safety, according to Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera.

In response to the incident, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied that the agency targeted the child, arguing that "ICE did NOT target a child." Instead, they described the detention as part of an operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, claiming he had abandoned his child during the arrest. DHS also mentioned that alternatives are usually provided for children's care, stating that parents have the choice to be removed with their children or designate someone to care for them, according to ABC News and Los Angeles Times.

The detainment of Liam represents a troubling trend within Minnesota's immigration enforcement landscape, where over 3,000 arrests have been reported in recent weeks. Advocates for immigrant rights express skepticism about the government's claims regarding the nature of detentions and safety assurances made to families. Legal representatives have begun to explore various options to potentially free detained families. Concerns regarding the conditions of immigrant detention facilities have also been raised, with reports of high numbers of children suffering from illness and poor living conditions, according to Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.