5-year-old child detained by US Immigration officers in Minnesota, sent to Texas with father; school says he was used as ‘bait’
PTC Web Desk: A 5-year-old boy from Minnesota was taken by US immigration officers along with his father and sent to a detention centre in Texas. The incident has shocked the local community and school officials, as the child is one of four students from the same school area detained in recent weeks.
The boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, had just returned home from preschool when federal agents stopped the car in his driveway. According to school officials, officers asked the child to knock on the door of his house to check if anyone else was inside. The school superintendent said this was wrong and described it as using a small child to help officers do their job.
A horrific smear.
ICE did NOT target, arrest a child or use a child as “bait.” ICE law enforcement officers were the only people primarily concerned with the welfare of this child. The father and alleged mother abandoned the child. Agitators scared the child.
On January… https://t.co/aoyxkOnSOl
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 23, 2026
The child’s family came to the United States in 2024 and has an active asylum case. School officials said the family had not received any order to leave the country. They questioned why such a young child was detained. “A 5-year-old cannot be a criminal,” the superintendent said.
BREAKING: Another blatant lie by the Trump WhiteHouse! After the WH and Homeland security made the claim that 5-year-old preschool student, Liam Ramos, who was detained, was abandoned by his father, Columbia Heights school officials, and the family’s attorney tell a different… pic.twitter.com/2VoB2rYuZX — Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 22, 2026
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gave a different version. A DHS spokesperson said immigration officers were trying to arrest the boy’s father, who they claim was living in the US illegally. According to DHS, the father ran away, leaving the child behind. Officers said they stayed with the boy to keep him safe and later took him along with his father.
Local leaders and neighbours said they offered to take care of the child, but officers refused. Even a school board member said she was ready to take responsibility for the boy, but the agents did not agree.
The family’s lawyer said both the child and his father are now being held at a family detention centre in Dilley, Texas. He added that they have not been able to speak to them directly and are exploring legal options to bring them back.
Vice President JD Vance commented on the case, saying the child was detained for safety reasons and not arrested. Still, questions remain about why the child was not left with another trusted adult.
Liam Ramos is just a baby. He should be at home with his family, not used as bait by ICE and held in a Texas detention center.
I am outraged, and you should be too. pic.twitter.com/djr2z1AG0N — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 22, 2026
Meanwhile, child rights groups have raised concerns about poor conditions at the Texas detention centre. They say many children there are sick, weak, and suffering due to long detention periods.
The incident has caused fear among immigrant families in the area. School attendance has dropped sharply, and teachers say children are scared. Liam’s teacher described him as a kind and loving child and said his classmates are waiting for his safe return.
- With inputs from agencies
