Hundreds of Minnesotans took to the streets on Friday to protest the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and express outrage over the detention of five-year-old migrant boy, Liam Conejo Ramos. The city was bracing for icy weather as protesters wrapped themselves in hats, gloves, and scarves while chanting "ICE out" - a call echoed by the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, who expressed shock at the detention.
Ramos, a preschool student, was taken from his home on Tuesday along with his Ecuadoran father, Adrian Conejo Arias. The boy's teacher described him as a "bright young student," while Ramos's father remains in custody at a Texas detention facility. According to Border Patrol officials, Ramos was being held pending immigration proceedings after it was alleged that he and his family entered the country illegally.
However, Ramos's father claims that they followed the law when applying for asylum in Minneapolis, a sanctuary city where police do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Critics of the administration say that using children as "bait" to apprehend parents is unacceptable, prompting UN human rights chief Volker Turk to call on US authorities to end what he described as "harmful treatment of migrants and refugees."
Protesters in Minneapolis cited the detention of Ramos - one of at least four children detained in the same school district this month - as a symbol of the administration's efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants. "What are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death?" asked an outraged protester.
The incident has reignited public outrage over the federal immigration operation underway in Minnesota, which has been shrouded in controversy since the killing of US citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7. An autopsy concluded that her death was a homicide but did not automatically mean a crime had been committed. The officer involved, Jonathan Ross, remains uncharged despite the high-profile incident.
As temperatures plummeted to -23C (-9F) in Minneapolis, protesters demonstrated outside the city's airport, where some had picketed earlier, urging an end to the deportation of migrants swept up in immigration raids.
Ramos, a preschool student, was taken from his home on Tuesday along with his Ecuadoran father, Adrian Conejo Arias. The boy's teacher described him as a "bright young student," while Ramos's father remains in custody at a Texas detention facility. According to Border Patrol officials, Ramos was being held pending immigration proceedings after it was alleged that he and his family entered the country illegally.
However, Ramos's father claims that they followed the law when applying for asylum in Minneapolis, a sanctuary city where police do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Critics of the administration say that using children as "bait" to apprehend parents is unacceptable, prompting UN human rights chief Volker Turk to call on US authorities to end what he described as "harmful treatment of migrants and refugees."
Protesters in Minneapolis cited the detention of Ramos - one of at least four children detained in the same school district this month - as a symbol of the administration's efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants. "What are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death?" asked an outraged protester.
The incident has reignited public outrage over the federal immigration operation underway in Minnesota, which has been shrouded in controversy since the killing of US citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7. An autopsy concluded that her death was a homicide but did not automatically mean a crime had been committed. The officer involved, Jonathan Ross, remains uncharged despite the high-profile incident.
As temperatures plummeted to -23C (-9F) in Minneapolis, protesters demonstrated outside the city's airport, where some had picketed earlier, urging an end to the deportation of migrants swept up in immigration raids.
What kinda sick game is that? Taking a kid from his home, like he's some kinda accessory or something... meanwhile, the parents are just sitting there in Texas, not even knowing what's happening with their own flesh and blood. And don't even get me started on ICE, they're just plain brutal. Like, who needs to use kids as pawns in this immigration game? It's disgusting. 
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr. 
We need more courage from our leaders to stand up for what's right, especially when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us.
. I mean, what's next? Taking away their toys and forcing them to watch ice ages outside 
? It's like they think we're heartless or something 
. And for what? Because his parents might have entered the country illegally? That's not fair 
. We should be helping these people, not hurting them. The fact that UN human rights chief is speaking out about this is huge 
. We need to stand with these families and demand justice 
️. This kind of stuff shouldn't happen in a country like ours 
. I mean, if they did follow the law when applying for asylum, that's a big deal! But at the same time, can't we find a way to handle these situations without detaining little ones? It's just not right 
. And what about the safety concerns on those icy streets? We gotta make sure protesters stay safe, too 
.
this is just so messed up 
5 yrs old kid taken away from his family and school for something that isnt even on his level 
what kind of twisted logic says we gotta use kids as bargaining chips to lock up parents? 
ICE needs a serious reality check 
it just feels so wrong .ICE should be worried about keeping us safe not hurting innocent kids 
i mean what are they even gonna do with this little guy? deport him to some place where he dont speak english? its just crazy . and another thing, whats with all the raids on schools? cant they see that they're scaring these families half to death? 
And don't even get me started on the fact that he's a preschool student! He should be playing with Legos, not locked up in a detention center 
. It's not right that they're treatin' kids like this... ICE out is all I can say 
. We gotta stand up for these families and make sure no more kids get hurt by these kinda policies... my grandma used to always say, "You got to stand up for what's right, even if it's hard"