ICE Detention of Father & 2-Year-Old in Minneapolis drew national attention after ICE agents seized a father and his 2-year-old.
At a Glance
- ICE agents seized a father and his 2-year-old daughter after a suspicious vehicle broke in.
- DHS said the father was an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry.
- The child was taken because the mother would not take her daughter.
- About 120 individuals threw rocks and garbage cans at agents.
- The incident follows a similar ICE operation that drew national attention.
Incident Details
Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his daughter Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis were taken in south Minneapolis on their way home from the grocery store, according to Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez.
A suspicious vehicle followed her father’s vehicle home, broke his window and kidnapped them. Chavez wrote. No judicial warrant was provided.
A spokesperson for DHS confirmed that Tipan-Echeverria was taken into custody and that he was driving with a child when he was stopped. The agency did not identify the child’s name, age or gender.
DHS said in a statement that Tipan-Echeverria was an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry and broke the laws of this nation.
The spokesperson added that DHS law enforcement took care of the child who the mother would not take and that the child and father are now reunited at a federal facility.
DHS said that Tipan-Echeverria was driving erratically with a child in the vehicle.
Agents attempted to take him into custody, but he refused multiple lawful commands to open his door or lower the window. The spokesperson said. Agents took him into custody and attempted to give the child to the mother who was in the area, but she declined.
The 2-year-old girl’s mother could not immediately be reached for comment.
During the operation, about 120 individuals surrounded the agents, blocking them in and preventing them from exiting, the spokesperson added.
The bystanders then began throwing rocks and garbage cans toward the agents and child before crowd control measures were deployed, DHS said.
The incident comes days after 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were taken into custody by ICE, incensing the Twin Cities and drawing international media attention.
DHS said that 5-year-old Liam’s mother “refused” to take him when ICE agents were apprehending his father, who is now in federal custody with Liam in Texas.
School board chair Mary Granlund, who witnessed Liam and his father being taken into custody, disputed DHS’ claim, telling reporters on Thursday that she heard an adult inside the home begging agents to leave the child.
More than 3,000 federal immigration personnel have descended on Minnesota since December in what the federal government has dubbed Operation Metro Surge.
About 3,000 people who are unlawfully in the country have been apprehended in the region in recent weeks, DHS said in a statement on Monday.
Immigration authorities were sent to the city after a right-wing YouTuber released a viral video alleging massive fraud at child care centers owned by Somali immigrants.
The video placed renewed attention on the Justice Department’s investigation into an alleged $250 million fraud scheme involving some members of Minnesota’s Somali community.
Caroline Radnofsky contributed to the report.
The suspicious vehicle followed the family’s car, broke a window, and entered the vehicle, according to council member Chavez.
DHS said the father was driving erratically with a child in the vehicle before agents attempted to take him into custody.
The mother would not take her daughter, leading DHS to take the child into custody at a federal facility.
Agents attempted to hand the child to the mother, who declined to accept her daughter.
The 120 individuals threw rocks and garbage cans, forcing DHS to deploy crowd control measures.
The incident came days after ICE detained Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, drawing international media attention.
Operation Metro Surge has deployed more than 3,000 federal immigration personnel to Minnesota, leading to about 3,000 people being apprehended.
The viral video alleged massive fraud at child care centers owned by Somali immigrants, prompting a DOJ investigation into a $250 million fraud scheme.
ICE agents followed standard procedures, but the lack of a judicial warrant raised questions about the legality of the arrest.
The father, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, had previously committed felony reentry, violating U.S. law.
The child was taken because the mother would not take her daughter, a situation that has left the family in uncertainty.
The mother’s refusal to accept the child has left the family in uncertainty, with the child now housed at an unnamed federal facility.
The incident highlights the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and child safety in the Twin Cities.
The 120 individuals’ actions prompted DHS to deploy crowd control measures, including deploying officers with protective gear.
The incident has drawn attention to the lack of a judicial warrant, raising questions about the legality of ICE arrests.
The DHS spokesperson emphasized that the father had committed felony reentry, a serious violation of U.S. immigration law.
The child’s current status remains unclear, as DHS has not released the name of the facility where she is held.
The case underscores the tension between enforcement and human rights concerns.
