By Staff, Agencies

A five‑year‑old Minnesota boy was taken with his father by ICE to Texas, the fourth local student detained in recent weeks, officials say.

Federal agents seized 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos from his car in the driveway, reportedly using him as bait, Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik told reporters

The father told the child’s mother, who was inside the home and has not been named, not to open the door, Stenvik told reporters Thursday.

Officials said agents refused to leave Liam with another adult, but Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the father requested he stay with him; both are now in a Texas detention center.

The family, in the US since 2024 with an active asylum case, had not been ordered to leave, prompting officials to ask, “Why detain a 5‑year‑old?”

ICE said it was targeting the father, not the 5‑year‑old, who stayed with an officer for safety while his father, in the US illegally, was arrested; parents can choose to be removed with their children or have them placed with someone else.

Minnesota has been a hotspot for immigration sweeps, with about 3,000 arrests in the past six weeks, officials say

Officials and neighbors said agents refused to leave Liam with other adults at home or authorized caretakers before taking him.

Liam and his father are likely in a family detention cell in Texas, though lawyers have had no direct contact. Legal options are being explored to secure their release.

Advocates say conditions at the Dilley detention center are dire, with children sick and malnourished. Liam’s school, Columbia Heights Public Schools, serves about 3,400 students, most from immigrant families.