The child was initially detained when his father fled but is reunited with his family.
Federal officials pushed back Thursday against widespread social media claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a 5-year-old child during an operation, calling the reports “false” and “misleading”. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE said agents briefly detained the child only after his father fled the scene, and that the boy was “never arrested, charged, or separated for enforcement purposes.” Officials said the child was quickly reunited with his family, accusing critics of distorting routine safety procedures into a narrative that does not reflect what occurred.
Early reports circulating online claimed agents deliberately used the child as “bait” to lure his father into custody, an allegation DHS officials say is untrue. ICE said agents encountered the child after the father – the target of the raid – fled during the operation and agents worked to ensure the child’s safety while locating family members. Officials emphasized that no tactic involving children was used in enforcement actions, and said body-camera footage and incident reports contradict the initial claims that spread rapidly.
“In Minneapolis, ICE arrested a 5-year-old coming home from preschool and tried to use him as human bait,” the Democratic National Committee posted on social media Thursday, with a link to an image showing agents holding the child. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operation Head Marco Charles responded to the post from the DNC, releasing a statement saying the child – identified as 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos – had been left stranded in the family’s freezing car after his father spotted officers and fled the scene. Charles said at that point one agent remained behind, while the others apprehended the father.
Officials said the false narrative spread quickly across social media and were amplified by several commentators before DHS could release a full account of the incident. ICE and DHS heads criticized what they described as “headline-driven outrage,” arguing that incomplete reporting fueled public outrage. The agencies said they are reviewing how the initial claims gained so much traction but reiterated that child welfare protocols require agents to prioritize safety and reunification whenever minors are encountered during operations.
Vice President J.D. Vance also weighed in, defending the agents involved and condemning the DNC’s use of the incident as political rhetoric. In a statement, Vance said the officers followed established child-safety protocols after the father fled and criticized media outlets and activists for spreading claims before verifying the facts. He urged the public to rely on official accounts and evidence, including body-camera footage, rather than “sensationalized narratives” that “endanger” ICE officers.
The family’s attorney disputed ICE’s account, arguing that agents unnecessarily escalated the situation and that the child’s detention was more than brief. In a statement, the lawyer said the family was “traumatized” by the encounter and maintained that agents failed to follow proper procedures when the father fled. The attorney called for an independent review of the incident, saying the government’s explanation “does not square with what the family experienced.” The child’s principal at Columbia Heights Public School also requested an independent review of the situation, which prompted officers to release the body camera footage.
