ICE detains 5-year-old, 3 other Columbia Heights students

1h Developing Twin Cities 1 source 10 relevant data

Columbia Heights Public Schools says ICE has detained four of its students in recent weeks, including 5-year-old preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos, who was seized in his driveway Tuesday and, according to the superintendent, used as 'bait' to help agents gain access to his home and arrest his father. Superintendent Zena Stenvik says the family is in full legal status with an active asylum case and no deportation order, and that another adult in the home begged agents to let them care for the child but was refused as agents pulled the boy from a still‑running vehicle. The district also reports a 17-year-old pulled from a car Tuesday morning, a 10‑year‑old fourth‑grader and her mother taken to Texas two weeks ago while the girl was en route to school, and a 17‑year‑old high schooler detained with her mother in their apartment last week; all are current Columbia Heights students. Stenvik says an ICE vehicle even drove onto high school property Wednesday before administrators ordered it to leave, and staff now go to work unsure whether particular children will be in class the next day, as families weigh school attendance against fear of arrest. ICE has not responded to questions from FOX 9, leaving the agency’s legal rationale, warrants (if any), and use of a kindergarten student in an enforcement ruse entirely unaddressed even as anger and fear build in another Twin Cities district hit directly by Operation Metro Surge.

📌 Key Facts

Four Columbia Heights students have been detained by ICE: a 5-year-old preschooler, a 10-year-old fourth-grader, and two 17-year-old high school students, according to Superintendent Zena Stenvik.
Stenvik says 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were arrested in their driveway Tuesday; agents allegedly pulled the boy from a running car, refused another adult’s offer to care for him, and used him to knock on the door so they could enter the home.
The district says the boy’s family has an active asylum case with no deportation order, and that a 10-year-old and her mother were flown to Texas before the school day ended and remain there.
Stenvik reports an ICE vehicle drove onto Columbia Heights High School property Wednesday and had to be told to leave; staff now fear their students may disappear between one day’s attendance and the next.
ICE and DHS have not yet answered FOX 9’s questions about these detentions, including why a 5-year-old was taken and employed in an enforcement tactic.

📊 Relevant Data

In Columbia Heights, Minnesota, the population is 21,973 as of the 2020 census, with racial composition of White alone at 53.4%, Black alone at 24.9%, Asian alone at 5.2%, and Hispanic or Latino at 13.5%.

Columbia Heights city, Minnesota - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Columbia Heights, MN are White (Non-Hispanic) at 51.5%, Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) at 24.7%, Other (Hispanic) at 9.86%, Asian (Non-Hispanic) at 5.34%, and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) at 4.09%.

Columbia Heights, MN | Data USA — Data USA

In 2025, there have been at least 20 deaths in ICE custody, marking the deadliest year since 2004, as ICE ramps up enforcement.

2025 is the deadliest year to be in ICE custody in decades — NPR

ICE launched a surge operation in Minnesota targeting Somali immigrants, following the end of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis under Trump policies.

ICE launches surge in Minnesota as Trump pushes for crackdown — CBS News

Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota involves ICE targeting Venezuelan and Somali migrants, with incidents including shootings in Minneapolis in 2026.

Operation Metro Surge — Wikipedia

Somali-born immigrants in Minnesota have incarceration rates two to five times higher than native-born Americans when compared apples-to-apples.

Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal

Venezuelan migration to the US, including Minnesota, is driven by the crisis in Venezuela, with Temporary Protected Status granted to many, which is now under threat of rollback.

Venezuelans in Minnesota fear rollback of TPS — Sahan Journal

The US immigration court backlog is nearly 3.8 million cases as of the third quarter of 2025.

Does U.S. immigration court have a 4-year backlog of cases? — CT Mirror

In FY2023, only about 14% of all asylum case decisions in the US resulted in a grant of asylum.

Understanding Asylum Cases Statistics in the U.S. — Jeelani Law Firm

Asylum grant rates in US immigration courts dropped to 19.2% in August 2025 from 38.2% in August 2024.

Immigration Court Asylum Grant Rates Cut in Half — TRAC Reports