A prime federal official has accused the daddy of a 5-year-old detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement of “abandoning his baby,” regardless of college officers saying the boy’s mom was dwelling and begged for him.
Marcos Charles, the highest ICE official in Minneapolis, accused Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias of abandoning his son, Liam, when fleeing from federal authorities in Minneapolis earlier this week.
“He and his baby have been in a automobile. Arias fled from legislation enforcement on foot, abandoning his baby in the course of winter in a automobile. Considered one of our officers stayed behind with that baby, whereas different officers apprehended his father,” Charles mentioned at a press convention Friday morning.
“After conducting the arrest, my officers, they cared for him, took him to get one thing to eat from a drive by means of restaurant, and spent hours guaranteeing he was taken care of once more my officers did that, not his father,” Charles mentioned.
Charles’ account of the detention of the 5-year-old boy is drastically totally different than what the household’s lawyer and colleges officers mentioned occurred.
ICE brokers stand subsequent to Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old that college officers mentioned was detained in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 20, 2026.
Rachel James/Reuters
“My officers did every little thing they may to reunite him along with his household. Tragically, after we approached the door of his residence, the individuals inside refused to take him in and open the door,” Charles mentioned. “My officers do the appropriate factor, irrespective of how troublesome or how lengthy it takes all through the day. “
Charles additionally mentioned brokers weren’t focusing on the kid.
“We are going to implement the legislation because it’s written, however we are going to go above and past to reunite households, as a result of that’s who we’re,” Charles mentioned. “That is the human aspect of the job that my officers do. They’re household women and men. They’ve kids of their very own. They sacrifice every little thing for his or her households. I do know for a undeniable fact that they have been heartbroken to see the kid’s family go away him behind.”
The 5-year-old was apprehended by immigration officers shortly after arriving dwelling from preschool whereas his father was of their driveway, in response to college officers.
“One other grownup dwelling within the dwelling was exterior and begged the brokers to allow them to deal with the small baby, however was refused,” officers from Conejo Ramos’ college claimed in a press release.
“As an alternative, the agent took the kid out of the still-running automobile, led him to the door, and directed him to knock — asking to be let in to see if anybody else was dwelling — primarily utilizing a 5-year-old as bait,” Columbia Heights Public Colleges Superintendent Zena Stenvik mentioned.
The household has a pending asylum case and no order of deportation, officers at Conejo Ramos’ college mentioned in a press release.
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after arriving dwelling from preschool, Jan. 20, 2026, in a Minneapolis suburb.
Ali Daniels through AP
The household’s lawyer, at a press convention Thursday, mentioned the 5-year-old and his father “did every little thing proper.”
“Liam and his dad did enter the USA at a port of entry to hunt asylum by means of the CBP One app,” lawyer Marc Prokosch mentioned. “They used the app, they made an appointment. They got here to the border and introduced themselves to Customs and Border Safety. They have been simply making an attempt to safe security from persecution for his or her household from their dwelling nation.”
The household’s lawyer mentioned Thursday that boy and his father are on the Dilley Immigration Processing Middle, about an hour south of South Antonio, Texas.
Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol’s commander at giant for Minneapolis, instructed reporters that the company’s members are “specialists in coping with kids.”
“Over these previous 4 years, a whole bunch of hundreds of youngsters are trafficked throughout that border. Guess who they got here into contact with? Typically, who was the very first legislation enforcement company or American citizen that they noticed? Us. Border Patrol, adopted by our counterparts at immigration and customs enforcement,” Bovino mentioned.
