ICE Incident in Minnesota: Child Reportedly Abandoned During Operation

The Department of Homeland Security has clarified a claim made by a Minnesota Democrat regarding a child purportedly targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The department stated that the child was “abandoned” during an immigration raid.

This response follows assertions from Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Representative Ilhan Omar, who shared images of a five-year-old boy online, alleging that he had been arrested by ICE while returning home from preschool. In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Abigail Jackson criticized the media for, in her view, collaborating with Democrats to disseminate misleading information about ICE operations.

“It’s disappointing that the media is so eager to promote false Democratic narratives without verifying the details,” Jackson remarked. “ICE officers act with integrity and professionalism to improve community safety. In this instance, they stayed with a child abandoned by his father, who is an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador.”

Jackson also noted, “Media misinformation can have serious repercussions. Assaults on ICE agents have spiked by 1,300% as harmful allegations from elected officials gain traction in the press. The administration is committed not only to removing dangerous undocumented immigrants but also to reuniting lost migrant children with their families. Over 120,000 children have been successfully located due to these efforts.”

Recent photos circulating online depict a young boy near a vehicle during an ICE operation, allegedly wearing a rabbit-shaped winter hat, with an adult’s hand on his backpack. Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik stated that federal agents removed the boy from a moving vehicle while he was in his family’s driveway.

The child was returning home from kindergarten at the time and was later sent to a detention facility in Texas with his father, according to reports from school officials and the family’s attorney.

“ICE does not specifically target children. Abandonment happens,” the Department of Homeland Security stressed. “On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted effort to apprehend Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador who had been released into the U.S. by the Biden administration.”

It was noted that as officers approached, Conejo Arias fled, leaving the child behind. One ICE officer remained with the child for safety while others apprehended the father. DHS indicated that parents are asked whether they wish to be removed alongside their children, and if not, ICE ensures the children are placed with a designated safe adult.

Stenvik noted that the family is seeking asylum and has not received a deportation order. The officer at the scene reportedly told the boy to knock on the door of their home, to check for other family members inside.

“Why detain a five-year-old?” Stenvik expressed, as quoted by the Associated Press. “I doubt this child could be considered a violent offender.”

The family’s attorney, Mark Prokosch, revealed that both father and son are currently in a family detention center in Texas. The incident has drawn criticism from the Minnesota Democratic Party.

Governor Walz tweeted, “Minnesota residents want safety, freedom, and the best for their children. Undercover agents snatching preschool children for detention is counterproductive.” He labeled the actions a “campaign of retaliation” that must be halted.

Omar also commented on the situation, saying, “ICE just took a five-year-old into custody. This is not a story about the ‘worst of the worst.’ It’s simply disgraceful.”

Hillary Clinton added, “It’s one thing to enforce the law; it’s quite another to utilize children as pawns to instill fear in the community.”

In response to these critiques, ICE asserted that the child was left behind by his father, who is a criminal illegal alien. They emphasized that the child’s safety was their priority.

This boy marks the fourth student from Columbia Heights Public Schools to be detained by ICE in recent weeks, according to Stenvik.

The Columbia Heights Public Schools district has announced plans for a press conference to discuss immigration enforcement actions involving students.