Reveals Vance Defends ICE Detainment of 5-Year-Old

At a Glance

• Vice President JD Vance defended ICE’s detention of a 5-year-old boy in a Minneapolis press conference on Jan. 22, 2026.
• Images of the boy wearing a blue knitted hat and a Spider-Man backpack went viral, sparking criticism of federal immigration tactics.
• DHS released a statement saying the father fled the scene, leaving the child with an ICE officer, and that the boy was not used as bait.
• Why it matters: The incident highlights tensions between federal agencies and Minnesota residents over immigration enforcement and raises questions about the treatment of children in detentions.

Vice President JD Vance spoke at a Minneapolis press conference on Jan. 22, 2026 to defend Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after images of a 5-year-old boy being detained circulated online. The boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, was photographed in a blue knitted hat and a Spider-Man backpack while being held in a driveway. Vance said he was proud of law enforcement’s role in enforcing the country’s laws, even as he acknowledged that arrests can be traumatic for children.

Vice President Vance Defends ICE Detainment

During the conference, reporters asked Vance whether he was ‘proud’ of the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown in Minnesota. He responded that he was proud of standing behind law enforcement and of enforcing the nation’s laws. When questioned about the boy’s detainment, Vance said that as a father of a 5-year-old, he initially questioned ICE’s actions but ultimately concluded the detention was justified when the boy’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled the scene. ‘Are they supposed to let a 5-year-old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?’ Vance asked. Vance also emphasized that the government cannot give immigrant parents immunity from arrest, even while recognizing the trauma that arrests can cause children. He reiterated that law enforcement’s role is to enforce the law, not to target families.

Details of the Detention Incident

The incident occurred in the driveway of the Conejo family’s home in Columbia Heights. According to DHS, the operation targeted Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who was alleged to be an illegal alien from Ecuador. When agents approached the driver, he fled on foot, abandoning his child. DHS said one ICE officer stayed with Liam while the other officers apprehended the father. The Washington Post reported that ICE agents asked Liam to knock on the door to see if anyone else was inside, effectively ‘using a 5-year-old as bait.’ The school district said another adult living in the home begged the agents to leave Liam with them, but ICE agents refused. Liam’s older brother returned home 20 minutes later to find his father and little brother had been taken away. The incident drew immediate criticism from local residents and advocacy groups, who called for greater oversight of ICE operations in Minnesota. Some residents reported seeing agents approach the driveway with a squad car and a group of officers.

Department of Homeland Security Statement

On January 20, DHS posted on X that the operation had been ‘targeted’ and that the father was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. The statement read: ‘When agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, he fled on foot-abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.’ The DHS post clarified that ICE was not targeting Liam and that the boy was not used as bait. The statement also mentioned that the operation was conducted in accordance with federal immigration law and that the father was not a threat to public safety.

Family’s Legal Position

Marc Prokosch, the family’s lawyer, told The Guardian that Liam and his father had been seeking asylum in the U.S. and had an active case. He also noted that they arrived in the U.S. through an official point of entry. ‘The family did everything they were supposed to in accordance with how the rules have been set out,’ Prokosch said. ‘They did not come here illegally. They are not criminals.’ The lawyer’s statement was used by supporters to counter the narrative that the family was in violation of immigration law. Prokosch highlighted that the family’s asylum claim was pending and that they had complied with all procedural requirements.

Broader Context: Minnesota Tensions

The detainment comes amid weeks of unrest between Minneapolis area residents and federal immigration officials. The tension escalated after U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on the morning of January 7. Good had just dropped her 6-year-old son off at school when she was stopped by ICE agents. She never made it home. Her mother, Becca, 40, said in a statement: ‘We stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns.’ Minnesota residents have clashed with ICE agents this month over their increasingly aggressive immigration tactics in the city, and there have been reports of violence toward anti-ICE protesters. The shooting of Good had already sparked protests across the city, with demonstrators demanding an end to ICE operations in the Minneapolis area. The state’s response to the incident has fueled debate over the scope of federal authority and the protection of children in immigration detentions.

Key Takeaways

• Vice President JD Vance defended ICE’s detainment of a 5-year-old boy, citing the father’s flight and the need to enforce immigration law.
• DHS clarified that the boy was not used as bait and that the operation targeted the father.
• The family’s lawyer maintains that the family entered the country legally and had an active asylum case.
• The incident is part of a broader pattern of tension in Minnesota between federal immigration officials and local residents.
• The incident underscores the ongoing conflict between federal immigration enforcement and local communities in Minnesota.

Timeline of Key Events

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