Why Detain a 5-Year-Old? Columbia Heights School Leaders Speak Out Over Students Taken by ICE
In a heart-wrenching display of the impact of immigration policies on young lives, Columbia Heights school leaders have spoken out against the recent detention of students by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The latest victim is 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose world has been turned upside down by the actions of ICE agents.
Liam's cubby is filled with a small stuffed turtle, a water bottle, and a blanket, a typical child's belongings. But his gray winter hat and the worksheet to trace the letter W are now left behind as he and his father are detained by ICE. The family's lawyer, Marc Prokosch, confirms that Liam and his father are in ICE custody, likely at a family detention center in Texas.
This incident marks the fourth ICE arrest of a student in the Columbia Heights Public Schools district this month, according to Superintendent Zena Stenvik. The district, located just north of Minneapolis, has a significant Latino student population, with over half of the students being of Latino descent. Stenvik described a chilling scene where ICE agents took Liam from his driveway, despite an adult living in the home pleading to care for him.
"The agent took the child out of the still-running car, led him to the door, and directed him to knock on the door, asking to be let in, in order to see if anyone else was home, essentially using a 5-year-old as bait," Stenvik revealed. This incident has left Liam's middle-school brother returning home to a missing father, a missing little brother, and a terrified mother.
Stenvik emphasized that the family is following U.S. legal parameters and has an active asylum case with no order of deportation. She questioned the necessity of detaining a 5-year-old, stating, "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal."
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to inquiries regarding Liam's detention or ICE's policies on detaining children. Liam's elementary teacher, Ella Sullivan, described him as a bright and kind student who brings joy to the classroom.
However, Liam is not an isolated case. Stenvik revealed that another 17-year-old high school student was taken from a car alone by armed, masked agents on the way to school. Just two weeks ago, a 10-year-old fourth-grader and her mother were also detained by ICE agents on their way to elementary school. Last week, ICE agents intruded into an apartment, detaining a 17-year-old student and her mother.
The school community is reeling from these incidents. ICE agents have even been seen on school property, with agents driving onto Columbia Heights High School grounds and being asked to leave by school administrators. Stenvik expressed the shaken sense of safety in the community and the shattered hearts of the school leaders.
The school board chair, Mary Granlund, thanked the community for their support, highlighting the outpouring of kindness with over $10,000 in donated food for the school food shelf in just one day. Granlund emphasized the school's focus on providing education and care to students during these challenging times, prioritizing their safety and well-being.
Stenvik demanded justice for Liam, seeking to know the conditions of his detention and the whereabouts of the other detained students. She drew a parallel to the 2018 images of children being kept in cages, stating that such treatment is unacceptable.
The district is addressing the situation by expanding online learning options for elementary students and emphasizing the right to educate children safely. Stenvik called for a diplomatic resolution, stating, "Our children should not continue to be targeted by masked agents brandishing large weapons in our neighborhoods and at their bus stops."
Granlund urged people to contact their congressional representatives to negotiate an immediate and peaceful resolution to the occupation. The family's lawyer, Prokosch, is exploring legal options, including a habeas corpus petition to release Liam from detention, as the family has filed for asylum through a legal process.
"They have done every single thing the right way that they were supposed to," Prokosch stated. "Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they’ve been asked to do. So this is, as we’ve all said, just cruelty."
