Update (February 1, 2026):

We are relieved to share that 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have been released from detention and are back home in Minnesota after more than a week in custody in Texas. Their return followed an emergency federal court order and overwhelming public outcry from educators, parents, lawmakers, and advocates across the country. While we celebrate Liam’s reunion with his family and school community, this fight is not over. Four other children from the same Columbia Heights school district remain detained with their families at the same Texas facility. No child should have to endure what Liam endured, and no family should have to rely on national outrage to secure their freedom. We will continue demanding the release of every detained child and an end to ICE practices that terrorize students, families, and schools.

----------

We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. On January 16, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, a kindergartner at Valley View Elementary, was detained alongside his father by masked federal agents. Liam was used as bait—forced to knock on his own front door to lure out family members—all while still in his school clothes and backpack.

This is not just a cruel abuse of power—it is a moral failure. Liam’s family is pursuing asylum through the legal system and has no deportation order. They were following the rules, and yet they were ripped from their home and community, reportedly transported across the country to a detention center in Texas.

This family’s story is not isolated. Over just two weeks, four children from the Columbia Heights Public Schools were taken by ICE in separate incidents—some while on their way to school. The trauma inflicted on these students, their families, classmates, and teachers is devastating. Nearly one-third of students in the district have stayed home out of fear. Schools are scrambling to offer virtual learning because students no longer feel safe walking through their neighborhoods.

We cannot look away. This is not who we claim to be.

We call on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Minnesota’s congressional delegation to:

• Immediately release Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from detention and reunite them with their family in Minnesota.
• Investigate and publicly disclose the ICE operations that led to the targeting and detainment of multiple children in Minnesota.
• Halt the use of minors from as tools of enforcement, and issue clear guidelines preventing such tactics in the future.
• Stop detaining innocent children.

Stand with us to demand justice for Liam and his family, the other detained children, and to say: enough is enough.