DHS Says 5-Year-Old Was ‘Abandoned’ by Parents During ICE Operation in Minnesota

‘ICE did NOT target, arrest a child or use a child as ‘bait,’ DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.

Liam Conejo Ramos in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20, 2026. Ali Daniels via AP

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Jan. 23 refuted reports that ICE agents detained a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota, saying the child was abandoned by his parents during an immigration enforcement operation.

Columbia Heights Public School District had previously said that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody along with his father while in their driveway on Jan. 20. School officials said an ICE agent asked the child to knock on the door to see if there was anyone inside.