Columbia Heights 4th grader Elizabeth Zuna freed from Texas ICE detention; MN schools sue to block raids near campuses
Columbia Heights fourth‑grader Elizabeth Zuna, who had been held at ICE’s Dilley detention center in Texas, has been released, a case that, officials say, has taken an emotional toll on her family and drawn attention to wider child‑detention practices. At the same time, Education Minnesota and the Duluth and Fridley school districts have sued to bar federal immigration enforcement near school campuses, and litigation in related cases has already yielded a federal temporary order protecting a detained 5‑year‑old and his father from removal.
📌 Key Facts
- Columbia Heights 4th grader Elizabeth Zuna, who had been held at ICE’s Dilley Detention Center, has been released.
- A federal judge issued a temporary order protecting at least one very young child detained in Minnesota — a 5‑year‑old boy — and his father from removal, showing courts can temporarily block ICE from quickly deporting families while cases are contested.
- Litigation is beginning to address Columbia Heights/Metro Surge child‑detention cases in addition to previously filed habeas petitions for Venezuelan and other families.
- Education Minnesota and the school districts of Duluth and Fridley have sued to bar federal immigration enforcement near school campuses; Fridley alleges ICE staged operations at school buildings after a New York Times article and views those actions as retaliation.
- Frontline social worker Tracy Xiong described the emotional toll on families, including detailing Elizabeth Zuna’s father breaking down after her detention.
- Deportation Data Project figures show an average of 170 children per day were in ICE custody from January–October 2025, with numbers rising ahead of Operation Metro Surge.
- Border Czar Tom Homan announced about 700 of roughly 2,700 federal officers assigned to the Minnesota surge will be withdrawn, reducing the deployment to about 2,000 officers.
- Gov. Tim Walz has formally written to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanding detailed information on detained children, including their numbers, locations and reasons for detention.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, the racial/ethnic composition of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, was 51.5% White, 24.7% Black, 13.3% Hispanic, 4.7% Asian, and 5.8% two or more races, with a significant portion of the Black population being Somali immigrants.
Columbia Heights Demographics | Current Minnesota Census Data — Minnesota Demographics
Somali immigration to Minnesota began in the 1990s as refugees fleeing civil war, with resettlement facilitated by volunteer agencies and attracted by job opportunities, affordable housing, and existing community networks, leading to the largest Somali diaspora in the US.
How Minnesota became the center of the Somali diaspora — Sahan Journal
Male Somali immigrants in Minnesota aged 18-29 who arrived at age 15 or younger have an incarceration rate higher than natives, with overall Somali immigrants showing elevated crime rates compared to the native population.
How a Manhattan Institute Comparison of Immigrant Incarceration Rates Is Rhetorically Misleading — Cato Institute
Venezuelan migration to the US since 2020 is driven by economic collapse, political instability, hyperinflation, and violence in Venezuela, with over 831,000 Venezuelans entering US custody at the border from 2020 to 2026.
U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Venezuelan Migration, Notes from Mexico, Border Barriers — WOLA
Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota targets noncitizens with criminal convictions, including members of gangs like Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, with over 3,000 arrests of individuals from various nationalities including Venezuelans and Somalis.
In Minnesota districts with high immigrant populations, ICE operations have led to student absences of 20 to 40 percent, with schools shifting to virtual learning due to fear and disruptions.
How schools and students are affected by ICE enforcement — MPR News
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies Columbia Heights 4th grader as Elizabeth Zuna and confirms she was held at ICE’s Dilley Detention Center and has now been released, shortly after previous coverage highlighted her case.
- Reports that Education Minnesota and the school districts of Duluth and Fridley have filed a lawsuit seeking to bar federal immigration enforcement near school campuses.
- Cites Deportation Data Project figures that an average of 170 children per day were in ICE custody from January–October 2025, with numbers rising ahead of Operation Metro Surge.
- Conveys frontline testimony from Columbia Heights social worker Tracy Xiong about the emotional toll on families, including a detailed description of Elizabeth’s father breaking down after her detention.
- Relays Fridley Public Schools’ allegation that ICE staged operations at school buildings after a New York Times article, which district leadership views as retaliation.
- Notes Border Czar Tom Homan’s announcement that 700 of roughly 2,700 federal officers assigned to the Minnesota surge will be withdrawn, bringing the deployment down to about 2,000 officers.
- Reports that Gov. Tim Walz has formally written to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanding detailed information on detained children, including numbers, locations, and reasons for detention.
- 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.