Debunking Claims of ICE Arresting a 5-Year-Old
Vice President J.D. Vance is addressing a widely circulated claim from establishment media and Democrats about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly arresting a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota.
The situation gained traction after Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) shared a local news article where Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik suggested that ICE should take custody of a 5-year-old boy being transported to school by his undocumented father.
Omar stated, “ICE just detained a 5-year-old. Don’t tell me this is the ‘worst of the worst.’ That’s a lie. Absolutely despicable.”
However, ICE officials clarified that they couldn’t leave the boy, named Liam Ramos, alone after his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled when approached by agents.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official provided details, stating, “On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador authorized to be in the U.S. by the Biden administration.”
When agents approached the driver, Adrian fled on foot, leaving the child behind. To ensure the child’s safety, one ICE officer stayed with the boy as others apprehended his father. Parents are asked if they wish for their children to be taken with them. If not, ICE will place the children with a responsible adult chosen by the parents, consistent with past immigration control practices. Parents can utilize the CBP Home app for departure management, which includes a free flight ticket and $2,600 to facilitate legal return.
During a news conference in Minneapolis on Thursday, Vance refuted claims that ICE had arrested Liam rather than keeping him safe while pursuing his father.
After further investigation, it became clear that my 5-year-old son was not arrested; his father was an undocumented immigrant and fled when approached. So, naturally, the concern arose about what should have been done—let a child be abandoned?
Vance commented, “If the argument is that you can’t arrest someone who breaks the law because they have a child, then that essentially gives all parents a free pass from law enforcement. It doesn’t make sense. No one thinks that’s reasonable.”
