Demand Investigation and Accountability for ICE Detention of 5-Year-Old Child

I am writing to demand immediate action following the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Columbia Heights, Minnesota on Tuesday. This incident represents a fundamental violation of child welfare standards and requires urgent investigation and accountability. According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE agents removed Liam from a still-running vehicle and used him to knock on his family's door to determine if anyone was home, essentially using a kindergartener as bait in an enforcement operation. When another adult living in the home begged to care for the child, agents refused. The family reported not knowing where Liam was for approximately 24 hours. He and his father were transported to Department of Homeland Security custody in San Antonio, Texas, leaving behind his belongings in his school cubby including a winter hat, blanket, and small stuffed turtle. This detention violated DHS's own stated protocols, which require agents to allow parents to designate someone to care for their children during detention. Instead, Liam became one of approximately 600 immigrant children placed in federal shelters in 2025 alone, more than the previous four years combined according to ProPublica reporting based on government data. The broader impact on Columbia Heights is severe. In a district where more than half the students are Latino, attendance has plummeted, with one-third of students absent on a recent day. Liam is one of at least four children from this single district detained this month. School administrators report being afraid to let students outside for recess or attend after-school events because ICE agents have repeatedly approached or been near campus. I urge you to demand a full investigation into this incident, support legislation to defund ICE operations that target families and children, and pursue accountability measures including impeachment proceedings against officials responsible for authorizing these tactics. Using a 5-year-old child as an enforcement tool is indefensible and demands immediate congressional action.