ICE Detains 5-Year-Old Minnesota Boy and His Father; School Officials Say Child Was Used as 'Bait'

A preschooler's arrest has sparked national outrage, as school officials accuse ICE of targeting students and using a young child during an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.

Liam Conejo Ramos, five, and his father were detained on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside their home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

According to school officials, ICE agents apprehended the two in their driveway shortly after Liam returned from preschool. They were later transported to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas.

Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said she arrived at the scene within minutes. By then, both Liam and his father were already in custody. The car was still running.

In a statement, Stenvik said an ICE agent removed Liam from the vehicle and brought him to the front door of the home. The agent then instructed Liam to knock and ask to be let in, "in order to see if anyone else was home — essentially using a five-year-old as bait."

Pleas to Prevent Detention Were Denied

Liam's older brother, a middle school student, arrived 20 minutes later and found both Liam and their father gone.

According to officials, an adult who had been present during the incident asked to take custody of Liam to avoid his detention, but the request was denied. Two school principals also went to the scene to support the family.

Stenvik confirmed Liam is one of four Columbia Heights students detained by ICE in recent weeks. She linked the detentions to increased enforcement under the Trump administration.

"Why detain a five-year-old? You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal," she said.

Family Was Pursuing Asylum

Liam's father, a national of Ecuador, entered the United States legally and applied for asylum. The family had been living openly in Minnesota, and according to their attorney, no final deportation order had been issued at the time of their arrest.

Marc Prokosch, the family's lawyer, confirmed that both father and son have valid asylum claims pending. He said Liam's father has complied fully with immigration requirements and has no criminal history.

"The family did everything they were supposed to in accordance with how the rules have been set out," he stated. "They did not come here illegally. They are not criminals."

Prokosch added that no deportation order had been issued and that Liam's father has no criminal record.

ICE Says Operation Was Targeted

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said ICE was conducting a "targeted operation" focused on Liam's father, whom she called an "illegal alien."

She denied that the child was targeted, stating the father "fled on foot — abandoning his child," and said officers remained with Liam to ensure his safety.

According to McLaughlin, detained parents are given the choice to stay with their children or designate a caregiver.

Community Reaction Deepens

Liam was described by his teacher as a bright, kind, and loving student who has a way of brightening the entire room. The teacher added that his classmates miss him. "All I want is for him to be back here and safe," the teacher added.

Prokosch, the lawyer, said the consequences of Liam's detention extend beyond his immediate family, warning that the impact will be felt throughout the community.

He stated that once Liam's classmates learn the government took him away, the emotional damage could be significant, not just for the family but for all the children now at risk of experiencing secondary trauma.

Pattern of Student Detentions

According to school officials, Liam's case is one of four involving Columbia Heights students detained by ICE since early January.

On the same day Liam was detained, ICE agents reportedly took a 17-year-old high school student into custody while the student was heading to school, with the district later confirming that no parents were present.

One week earlier, a 17-year-old student and her mother were detained after ICE officers entered their apartment.

In another case, the week prior, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student and her mother were taken into custody. According to the district, the child called her father during the arrest and said agents told her they were taking her to school. By the time the father arrived, both the child and her mother were gone. They were later transported to a detention center in Texas.

Local Leaders Voice Concern

At a recent school board meeting, Columbia Heights Board of Education chair Mary Granlund expressed concern over the wave of enforcement actions.

At a recent school board meeting, Columbia Heights Board of Education chair Mary Granlund voiced concern over the recent wave of enforcement actions, saying she had spent weeks working to ensure the safety of students, staff, and families. "But at the end of the day, we have whistles, and they have guns," she said.

Vice President Defends Operation

Vice President J. D. Vance defended the detention during a closed-door meeting in Minneapolis on Thursday. "Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death?" he asked.

"If the argument is that you can't arrest people who have violated the law because they have children, then every single parent is going to be completely given immunity from ever being the subject of law enforcement," he added.

Vance's comments came amid ongoing demonstrations in Minneapolis, where daily protests have continued following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent more than two weeks ago.

As we had previously reported, tensions erupted inside Cities Church as stunned worshippers watched protesters march into the sanctuary, shouting slogans and defying the sanctity of the moment.

With cameras rolling, the confrontation spiraled across social media, sparking political uproar, legal threats, and questions about where the protest ends and desecration begins.

Worship Service Shattered by Sudden Protest

The confrontation happened at Cities Church in St. Paul, stunning the congregation and grabbing headlines nationwide. Protesters accused one of the church's pastors of holding a key leadership role with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The explosive claim ignited fury and camera phones.

A video posted online captured the moment protesters stood inside the sanctuary mid-service, chanting, "Justice for Renee Good" and "Who needs justice, we need justice."

In another video, the person behind the camera called it a "clandestine mission" and claimed they had only recently discovered one of the pastors' alleged ties to ICE. Protesters appeared to stand at the center of the sanctuary, defiantly disrupting the service.

Pastor Accused of Leading ICE Field Office

At the heart of the firestorm is David Easterwood, listed on the Cities Church website as a pastor. According to court filings and public records, a man by the same name serves as the acting director of ICE's St. Paul field office.

Protesters claim Easterwood is directly responsible for ICE enforcement operations in the Twin Cities — efforts that have come under increasing fire from activists in recent months following a series of high-profile raids.

Among the most emotionally charged cases was that of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier this month in Minneapolis. Her death, amid a surge in federal immigration actions, has become a rallying cry for protesters.

Federal Civil Rights Probe Launched

On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed it had opened an investigation into the protest. Officials stated they are reviewing whether the disruption violated federal civil rights protections.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division didn't mince words. "The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers," she posted on X.

Dhillon added, "A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!"

ICE Slams Protesters, Warns of Escalating Threats

On January 19, 2026, ICE issued a fiery statement on X condemning the incident, "Agitators aren't just targeting our officers. Now they're targeting churches, too. They're going from hotel to hotel, church to church, hunting for federal law enforcement who are risking their lives to protect Americans."

Just hours later, the White House weighed in. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denounced the protest, writing, "President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship." She confirmed a full federal investigation was underway into what she called a "despicable incident."

In a court filing dated January 5, 2026, Easterwood defended ICE's controversial tactics in Minnesota. He said agents were facing rising threats and noted that crowd control devices were critical for officer safety.

He also insisted that he was unaware of any instance where agents had deliberately targeted peaceful protesters or legal observers using less-lethal munitions.

Churchgoers Shaken by Protest and Don Lemon's Surprise Appearance

Religious leaders swiftly responded. Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester posted a statement on X decrying the region's "violence, fear, political tension, and deep suspicion." He urged federal officials, protesters, and politicians alike to stop "shouting and demonizing one another."

But the protest gained even more attention because former CNN anchor Don Lemon was inside the church during the disruption. Now an independent journalist, Lemon livestreamed the chaos from inside Cities Church. According to TMZ, church member Caleb Phillips believes Lemon and the protesters should face criminal charges.

Phillips said that once police arrived and order was restored, Pastor Parnell addressed the congregation, defending Easterwood's dual role as a longtime law enforcement officer and a church pastor of ten years.

Phillips insisted that the church continues to stand behind Easterwood, and while he remains unsettled by the experience, he believes it could bring more people into the church.