January 22, 2026

ICE agents detained a 5-year-old boy near Minneapolis on Tuesday, one of at least four students who have been arrested in a single school district this month. It comes as no surprise that nearly half of the students in the district, Columbia Heights, are Latino.

According to school officials, the agents who arrested preschooler Liam Ramos also attempted to use the child as “bait” to see if anyone else was inside his home. A lawyer for the family says Liam and his father are now in DHS custody in San Antonio.

“Why detain a 5-year-old?” Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of the district, asked in a press conference. “You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal.”

Every single detail about this story is hideous. For me, the photos of Liam getting taken into custody are almost too excruciating to bear. But I can only hope that the virality with which they are being shared today does something, whether it’s shaming the shameless into releasing Liam, convincing Trumpers to disavow, or…something. Because all of this is so grotesque.

—Inae Oh

ICE Detained a 5-Year-Old Minnesota Boy and Used Him As “Bait”

The preschooler is one of at least four children from the same school district who have been detained this month, according to school officials.

BY KATIE HERCHENROEDER

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