A massive immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has ignited fierce political controversy following the detention of a five-year-old child, Liam Conejo Ramos. The incident has created a stark divide between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders, with Vice President JD Vance defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ actions while local officials condemn what they describe as traumatic tactics.
Vance confirmed Thursday that young Ramos was among those detained during widespread ICE operations targeting undocumented immigrants. The vice president asserted that federal agents acted appropriately, claiming the child’s father had abandoned him during an immigration sweep. “What are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death?” Vance questioned during a press briefing.
Democratic representatives have vehemently rejected this narrative. Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro branded Homeland Security authorities “sick liars,” noting that his office had been unable to locate the child reportedly held with his father in San Antonio, Texas. Former Vice President Kamala Harris expressed outrage, stating, “Liam Ramos is just a baby. He should be at home with his family, not used as bait by ICE.”
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement contradicting claims that agents targeted the child, explaining that ICE officers remained with Ramos for his safety after his father allegedly fled during an operation to arrest him. The department emphasized that parents are given options for removal with their children or placement with designated safe persons.
This incident occurs within broader tensions surrounding ICE’s intensified enforcement activities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the influx of approximately 3,000 federal agents as feeling like an “occupation,” while local school administrators reported at least four children from the same school district being detained this month by masked, armed agents without clear identification.
The legal status of Ramos and his father remains complex. Their attorney, Marc Prokosch, clarified that while not US citizens, both had followed proper legal procedures in applying for asylum within Minneapolis—a designated sanctuary city where local police typically do not cooperate with federal immigration sweeps. Vance criticized such sanctuary policies, arguing they “turn up the temperature” and hinder federal operations.
Meanwhile, Minnesota state authorities have sought a temporary restraining order against ICE operations, with a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday that could potentially pause the controversial sweeps.