ICE detains 5-year-old, 3 other Columbia Heights students
ICE detained four students in Columbia Heights, including a 5‑year‑old boy. A federal judge has issued a temporary order barring the removal of that boy and his father, illustrating that immediate legal action can halt rapid deportations and that litigation is beginning to catch up with Columbia Heights/Metro Surge child‑detention cases.
📌 Key Facts
- ICE detained a 5-year-old boy and three other students from Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
- A federal judge issued a temporary order barring the removal of at least one detained 5-year-old boy and his father, temporarily protecting them from deportation.
- The temporary order prevents ICE from immediately removing the boy and his father while their case is contested in court.
- Litigation is beginning to catch up with Columbia Heights/Metro Surge child‑detention cases, expanding beyond Venezuelan and other family cases already in the habeas pipeline.
- The ruling signals to school districts and parents that prompt legal action can at least halt ICE from quickly shipping children and parents out of the country while legal challenges proceed.
📊 Relevant Data
Somali Minnesotans generate at least $500 million in income annually and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually — KSTP
Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy, with Somali Minnesotans contributing $8 billion.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
ICE booked about 3,800 minors into immigrant family detention from January to October 2025, including children as young as one or two years old.
Why the Trump administration is detaining immigrant children — The Guardian
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have higher incarceration rates than natives, with male 18-29 year old Somali immigrants who arrived age 15 or younger having a higher incarceration rate than natives.
How a Manhattan Institute Comparison of Immigrant Incarceration Rates Is Rhetorically Misleading — Cato Institute
Federal immigration enforcement near schools disrupts attendance, traumatizes students, and damages their academic performance.
Federal immigration enforcement near schools disrupts attendance, traumatizes students and damages their academic performance — The Conversation
ICE issued Directive 11064.4 on Detention and Removal of Alien Parents and Legal Guardians of Minor Children on July 2, 2025, to address handling of parents with minors.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The new article confirms that at least one of the very young children detained in Minnesota — a 5‑year‑old boy — has now obtained a federal court order temporarily protecting him and his father from removal.
- It shows that litigation is beginning to catch up with some of the Columbia Heights/Metro Surge child‑detention cases, not just Venezuelan and other family cases already in the habeas pipeline.
- The order signals to districts and parents that immediate legal action can at least stop ICE from quickly shipping kids and parents out of the country while their cases are contested.