US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam Ramos, on Tuesday during a Minnesota immigration enforcement operation. Liam was with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, when ICE agents stopped them in their driveway. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on X that "ICE did NOT target a child" and the operation focused on the father, labeled an "illegal alien" who "abandoned" his son when approached. Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent Zena Stenvik questioned, "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." Photos from the school district show Liam in a bunny-shaped hat outside, with an officer holding his backpack. The family’s lawyer, Marc Prokosch, said Liam and his father were likely held in a Texas detention center. The father reportedly has an active asylum case without a deportation order. Liam had just returned from preschool when detained. School officials were present at the home to support the family. Stenvik added that ICE recently detained four students in the district, including a 10-year-old and two 17-year-olds. DHS called the arrest a "targeted operation" and said an ICE officer stayed with the boy for his safety while others detained the father. Parents are asked if they want removal with their children, or children are placed with a safe person. However, school officials say another adult living in the home was refused permission to bring Liam inside. Instead, an agent asked the boy to knock on the door to check if others were home. Mary Granlund, chair of Columbia Heights Public Schools Board, stated, "Our children should not be afraid to come to school or wait at the bus stop." The DHS claims it targets the "worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens" to ensure public safety in Minnesota. Operation Metro Surge has stirred outrage in Minneapolis, St Paul, and other cities. On 7 January, a federal officer fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, provoking nationwide protests and criticism from officials.