Immigration agents recently detained a five-year-old boy and his father in Minnesota. School officials were very unhappy about this. They said it was a trick to find the father. This event has started a big discussion. People are asking if it is right to involve children in immigration actions.
The boy’s name is Liam Conejo Ramos. He was with his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, outside their home. Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to their house. School leaders said the agents wanted to arrest the father. He is from Ecuador and is seeking asylum. ICE said they did not target the child. They also said the father ran away, leaving his son.
This is not the first time this has happened. At least four children from the same school district have been detained by ICE. Their ages were between five and seventeen. Some parents were separated from their children. This made the families very upset. A government spokesperson said agents stayed with the child for his safety. They also tried to find relatives for him.
The father has a pending asylum case. He was not ordered to leave the country. However, immigration agents still arrested him. Witnesses said the agents told the boy to knock on the door. This was to see if anyone else was home. Then, the father ran away.
Many families in Columbia Heights are worried. This is a diverse community with many people dealing with immigration issues. Teachers and local leaders are concerned about the effect on students. They question if it is fair to involve young children in these actions.
The father and son are now in Texas. The government says they usually target people with criminal records. However, these detentions show the impact of immigration policies on children and families.