DHS Rejects Claims ICE Targeted Five-Year Old in Minnesota Arrest: 'The Child Was ABANDONED'

The Department of Homeland Security rejected claims that immigration agents targeted a five-year-old boy during a recent enforcement operation in Minnesota, saying the child was "abandoned" when his father fled from officers.

In a statement posted on X, DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was conducting a "targeted operation" on Jan. 20 to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, whom the agency described as an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador. "ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED," the agency wrote, adding that Conejo Arias "fled on foot—abandoning his child."

According to DHS, one officer remained with the boy "for the child's safety" while others apprehended the father. The agency said parents in such cases are asked whether they want to be removed with their children or have them placed with a person they designate, describing the practice as consistent with previous administrations' enforcement policies.

ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED.On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached the driver Adrian… https://t.co/UmxxV34omm

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 22, 2026

Minnesota school officials said the incident occurred as the child, identified as Liam Ramos, returned home from preschool with his father. The Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent, Zena Stenvik, said the pair were detained in their driveway and later transported to a detention center in Texas. "Why detain a five-year-old?" she asked, adding that the child should not be viewed as a criminal, as BBC reports.

Photographs provided to the BBC by the school district show the boy outside his home with an officer holding his backpack. School officials said another adult in the home had asked to care for the child but was refused, and alleged that an agent directed the boy to knock on the door to check if anyone else was inside.

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A lawyer representing the family, Marc Prokosch, said the father had an active asylum case and no deportation order. "The family did everything they were supposed to," he said, adding that they entered the United States through an official port of entry.

The incident occurred amid a broader enforcement surge in Minnesota that has led to the detention of several minors in the school district, according to officials. DHS has described the wider campaign as a lawful, targeted effort focused on individuals who pose a threat to public safety, while local authorities and community members have criticized its impact on families and schools.

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