Columbia Heights, Minnesota – A five-year-old boy was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday after returning home from school, prompting outrage from school officials and raising fresh concerns about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. The incident was first reported by The Guardian.
Child and Father Detained in Driveway After School
The child, Liam Ramos, a preschool student in the Columbia Heights school district, was detained alongside his father while they sat in their driveway after arriving home from school. According to district officials, the pair were later transported to a detention center in Texas.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the Columbia Heights school district, said she rushed to the family’s home after learning of the detention. When she arrived, the father’s car was still running, but both father and son had already been taken into custody.
Stenvik said an ICE agent removed Liam from the vehicle, walked him to the front door, and instructed the five-year-old to knock to see if anyone else was home.
“Essentially using a five-year-old as bait,” Stenvik said during a press conference.
Pleas to Care for the Child Were Denied
According to the superintendent, another adult resident was present and begged agents to allow the child to remain at home rather than be detained. That request was denied.
Liam’s older brother, a middle school student, returned home about 20 minutes later to find his father and younger sibling gone. Two school principals arrived at the scene to support the family.
School officials later released photos showing Liam standing at his front door beside a masked agent and another image of the child holding his backpack near a car.
“Why detain a five-year-old?” Stenvik asked. “You cannot tell me that this child is a violent criminal.”
Family Has Active Asylum Case, Attorney Says
Marc Prokosch, the family’s attorney, said the father and son have an active asylum case and entered the United States legally through an official port of entry.
“The family did everything they were supposed to do,” Prokosch said. “They did not come here illegally. They are not criminals.”
He added that there is no deportation order against them and that the father and son have remained together in detention.
DHS Disputes School District’s Account
A spokesperson for Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, disputed aspects of the account, saying ICE was conducting a targeted operation focused on the father.
“ICE did NOT target a child,” McLaughlin said, alleging that the father fled on foot and abandoned the child. She stated that an officer remained with Liam for safety reasons while the father was apprehended.
McLaughlin also said parents are typically given the option to be detained with their children or designate a safe adult to take custody.
Pattern of Student Detentions Raises Alarm
Liam is one of four students in the district detained by federal agents in just two weeks, according to school officials.
Other incidents include:
- A 17-year-old student removed from a vehicle by masked agents without parents present
- A high school student and her mother detained after ICE agents allegedly forced entry into an apartment
- A 10-year-old girl detained while traveling to school with her mother, later transported to Texas
In one case, the child called her father during the arrest and was told she would be brought to school. Instead, both she and her mother were detained.
ICE Presence Near Schools Deepens Community Fear
Stenvik said ICE vehicles have been seen circling schools, following buses, and entering school parking lots. On Wednesday, administrators ordered an ICE vehicle to leave high school property shortly before a press conference.
“ICE agents have been roaming our neighborhoods, circling our schools, following our buses, and taking our kids,” Stenvik said.
DHS did not respond to questions about the additional arrests or ICE’s presence on school grounds.
Emotional Impact on Students and Educators
Teachers and school staff described widespread trauma among students.
Liam’s teacher said in a statement:
“He is kind, loving, and brightens the room every day. All I want is for him to be back here and safe.”
Attorney Prokosch warned the impact extends beyond one family.
“Once classmates learn the government took him away, that causes secondary trauma across the entire community,” he said.
Stenvik said some families are now keeping children home out of fear, while school leaders are attempting to help parents navigate the immigration system.
