A series of aggressive federal enforcement actions has sent shockwaves through the Columbia Heights school district this week, headlined by the detention of a five-year-old preschooler. The incident has intensified an already volatile standoff between Minnesota local leaders and federal authorities, following the recent fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renée Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The most harrowing of these encounters involves young Liam Conejo Ramos. On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Liam and his father were intercepted by federal agents as they returned home from preschool. According to District Superintendent Zena Stenvik, the father’s car was still running when she arrived at the scene, but both parent and child had already been apprehended.
Tactics Under Fire
At a Wednesday news conference, Stenvik detailed a sequence of events she characterized as morally indefensible. She alleged that federal agents used the preschooler to assist in their sweep of the residence.
“An agent had taken Liam out of the car, led him to his front door, and directed him to knock to see if anyone else was home — essentially using a five-year-old as bait,” Stenvik said.
Despite an adult at the residence pleading with agents to leave the boy in their care, ICE denied the request. Both Liam and his father were reportedly transported to a detention center in Texas. Liam’s older brother returned home just 20 minutes later to find the house empty and his family gone.
“Why detain a five-year-old?” Stenvik asked. “You cannot tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal. They’re taking children.”
A Community in Crisis
The detention of Liam Ramos is not an isolated event. School officials confirmed that three other students have been taken into custody this month:
January 6: A 10-year-old fourth grader detained with her mother.
January 14: A 17-year-old high school student detained with her mother.
January 20: A second 17-year-old student removed without parents present.
Stenvik accused federal agents of maintaining a predatory presence around educational facilities. “ICE agents have been roaming our neighborhoods, circling our schools, following our buses, coming into our parking lots and taking our kids,” she stated, adding that families are now too terrified to send their children to class.
Legal Status and “Secondary Trauma”
The family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, told The Guardian that the Ramos family entered the United States legally and has an active, ongoing asylum case.
“They did not come here illegally. They are not criminals. They did everything they were supposed to in accordance with the rules,” Prokosch said. He warned that the government’s actions are inflicting “secondary trauma” on Liam’s classmates and the broader community.
Liam’s teacher echoed this sentiment, describing the five-year-old as a “bright… kind and loving” student whose absence has left a void in the classroom.
Federal Defense: “Targeting the Father, Not the Child”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed back against the district’s narrative. In a statement released January 21, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the operation, identifying Liam’s father as an “illegal alien” and the primary target of the action.
McLaughlin insisted that “ICE did NOT target a child.” She countered the “bait” allegations by suggesting the father had “abandoned” the boy during the arrest, claiming an officer remained with Liam solely to ensure his safety.
However, the school district countered this defense by releasing photos of the encounter. The images show Liam standing outside his front door accompanied by a masked agent, while another adult holds the boy’s backpack near a vehicle.
As the legal battle unfolds, school leaders say they are being forced into roles far beyond education. “Our main priority is to keep children safe,” Stenvik said. “They’re children. They are not violent criminals. They are little kids.”
