Judge orders deportation of 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and family as ICE data show majority of Metro Surge arrestees had clean records
A judge ordered the deportation of 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and his family after rejecting their asylum claims. ICE internal data show that during the Minnesota Metro Surge more than 60% of arrestees had no prior convictions (63% had neither criminal nor immigration‑related charges), with Ecuadorians the most‑targeted group (over 1,000 arrested), and analysts say a reported national quota of roughly 3,000 arrests per day pushed agents to round up people “going about their daily lives,” including those attending ICE check‑ins and immigration court.
📌 Key Facts
- ICE’s internal Metro Surge data show a majority of people arrested in Minnesota had no prior convictions — more than 60% had no criminal history.
- According to the same ICE data, 63% of those arrested had neither criminal histories nor immigration‑related convictions or charges.
- The Ramos family’s lack of criminal history is consistent with these findings, indicating their case is typical rather than anomalous.
- Ecuadorians were the top nationality targeted in the Minnesota operation, with more than 1,000 Ecuadorians arrested.
- The dataset situates those arrests within a broader caseload in Minnesota of roughly 12,000 pending immigration cases and about 1,900 asylum cases.
- The Deportation Data Project’s analysis suggests ICE’s strategy was driven by a national quota of roughly 3,000 arrests per day, which shifted enforcement away from prioritizing serious criminals and toward detaining people “going about their daily lives,” including at ICE check‑ins and immigration court.
📊 Relevant Data
In Minnesota, areas with higher immigrant populations, such as the Twin Cities, show no strong positive correlation between immigration rates and crime rates from 2010 to 2023, with some counties exhibiting lower crime rates despite increased immigration.
Minnesota Immigrants and their Correlation to Crime Rates — StoryMaps
Nationally, illegal immigrants had an incarceration rate of 0.85% in 2024, compared to 1.71% for native-born Americans and 0.98% for legal immigrants, indicating lower per capita incarceration among illegal immigrants.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2024 — Cato Institute
Ecuadorian migration to the US since 2021 has been driven by a surge in violence from drug trafficking, territorial disputes between criminal groups, and expansion of illicit economies, with homicide rates increasing sharply due to weakened institutions.
Security Reforms in Ecuador Should Not Be the Last Word — Migration Policy Institute
Immigration to Minnesota from 2020 to 2025 has contributed to population growth, with international migration accounting for a net increase of over 20,300 in 2022 alone, driving changes in racial demographics including a rise in Hispanic population to 6.4% by 2024.
Minnesota population growth slows in 2025 but remains strong — The Center Square
Immigration has increased housing demand in Minnesota, contributing to higher rental prices, with the wage required for a two-bedroom apartment being the highest in the Midwest at over $25 per hour in 2025, amid labor shortages in construction due to immigration enforcement.
Out of Reach 2025 — Minnesota Housing Partnership
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- ICE’s internal surge data confirm that the Ramos family’s lack of criminal history is typical, not anomalous: more than 60% of people arrested during Metro Surge in Minnesota had no prior convictions, and 63% had neither criminal histories nor immigration‑related convictions or charges.
- The dataset shows Ecuadorians were the top nationality targeted, with more than 1,000 arrested out of about 12,000 pending immigration and 1,900 asylum cases in Minnesota, directly situating the Ramos family in a larger Ecuadorian dragnet.
- The Deportation Data Project’s analysis suggests ICE strategy was driven by a 3,000‑arrests‑a‑day national quota, which pushed agents away from focusing on serious criminals and toward scooping up people "going about their daily lives," including those attending ICE check‑ins and immigration court.