Five-Year-Old Detained in Minneapolis Immigration Sweep Highlights Urgent Need for Child Safeguarding Guardrails
MINNEAPOLIS — The detention of a five-year-old boy during a federal immigration sweep in Minneapolis raises urgent questions about the safety and protection of children caught in enforcement actions. Vice President JD Vance confirmed Thursday that the child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken into custody alongside his father after federal agents attempted to detain the adult.
“As a father myself, I was stunned,” Vance said, reflecting on his initial reaction: “How did we arrest a five-year-old?” He later defended the action, noting the child was with his father when authorities intervened.
Ramos and his father, who have applied for asylum, are now held in San Antonio, Texas. Local reports indicate at least four children in the Minneapolis school district have been detained in recent weeks. Minneapolis is a sanctuary city, meaning local police do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, a factor Vance said “makes it harder for us to do our job.”
This incident shows how easily children can be caught in adult disputes, often without any ability to advocate for themselves. Detaining a child, even briefly, risks emotional trauma, disrupted development, and long-term psychological harm. Children’s wellbeing should never be treated as secondary to enforcement priorities.
Parents should be able to follow legal processes without fearing that their children will be traumatized. Law enforcement and local authorities must prioritize safety, ensuring children are never placed in harm’s way. Immigration policies and enforcement protocols should include family-centered protections, alternatives to detention, and immediate access to child-focused support.
While we recognize that law enforcement agents must perform their duties in the defense of national security and related purposes, we believe this case is a clarion call that children’s right to life, safety, and protection from neglect, rights enshrined in the national and local laws must guide all policies. Around the U.S. Children caught between legal and political disputes are at risk, and urgent reform is needed to ensure their welfare is never compromised or neglected.
