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Detained five-year-old highlights concerns about Trump's ICE crackdown
Summary
Photos circulated by a Minnesota school district show a five-year-old boy in the presence of immigration agents; the Department of Homeland Security says the child was held for protective purposes after his father left during an attempted arrest and that an officer remained with the child.
Content
Images circulated by Columbia Heights public schools show a five-year-old boy in the presence of immigration agents during a recent enforcement action. Federal officials say the child was held for protective purposes after his father left when agents attempted to detain him. Local school leaders say the episode is one of several recent student detentions in the area and that staff and families are distressed. The child's family and their lawyer say they entered the United States at an official crossing and were pursuing asylum.
What is known:
- School district photographs show a young child near immigration officers during an operation in Minnesota.
- The Department of Homeland Security stated the child was held for his safety after his father absconded and that one officer remained with the child.
- Officials identified the father as Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias and said the child and father were taken to a homeland security detention center in San Antonio.
- The family's lawyer said they entered at a designated crossing and were following an asylum process; local educators reported several recent detentions of students and described community distress.
Summary:
The photographs have prompted differing accounts from federal authorities and local officials and have drawn public attention to recent immigration enforcement activity involving children in the Minneapolis area. Undetermined at this time.
