A public school district north of Minneapolis has reported that federal immigration enforcement actions in recent weeks have resulted in the detention of four enrolled students, including a 5-year-old child, prompting concern among educators, families, and community members.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, said during a Wednesday news conference that the incidents involved students of different ages and occurred in neighborhoods served by the district. According to Stenvik, two of the students were detained while traveling to or from school, contributing to heightened anxiety among families and a noticeable decline in attendance across district schools.
One of the most recent cases involved 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained Tuesday afternoon along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. Stenvik said immigration agents took the pair into custody in their driveway shortly after the child returned home from preschool. She stated that another adult present in the home pleaded with agents to allow the child to remain behind under their care, but the request was denied.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security said the child was not the intended target of the enforcement action. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said agents were seeking the child’s father and that, during the encounter, Conejo Arias fled briefly, leaving the child unattended. An officer remained with the child, she said, while other agents apprehended the father. DHS added that parents are typically asked whether they wish to remain with their children during detention or designate another safe caregiver, describing the procedure as consistent with past immigration enforcement practices.
Marc Prokosch, an immigration attorney representing the family, said both the father and child are believed to be held at a detention facility in Texas. Speaking publicly, Prokosch said he is evaluating whether to file a habeas corpus petition on the child’s behalf, while also reviewing the family’s broader immigration case. He noted that the child does not have an independent immigration proceeding and is included within the family’s asylum claim.
Stenvik emphasized that the family has an active asylum case and no order of deportation, raising questions about the necessity of detaining a young child. She said the situation has deeply affected the family, noting that another child in the household returned home to find both his father and younger brother missing, leaving the family in distress.
The superintendent also detailed three additional incidents involving district students. In one case, a 17-year-old student was removed from a vehicle by armed, masked agents without a parent present. In another, a 10-year-old student was detained alongside her mother while en route to school, with both later transported to a Texas detention center. A fourth incident involved agents entering an apartment and detaining a 17-year-old student and her mother.
Beyond the individual cases, Stenvik said the presence of immigration enforcement activity near school grounds has unsettled the broader community. She reported that an immigration vehicle recently entered school property and was asked to leave by administrators. In response to nearby enforcement activity, the district temporarily kept students indoors during recess at one elementary school as a precaution.
Stenvik said the cumulative impact of these events has shaken families’ sense of security and disrupted daily school life. She stressed that children should be able to attend school and wait for buses without fear, adding that educators are working to reassure students while continuing to provide a stable learning environment amid ongoing uncertainty.
