The Department of Homeland Security has issued a fact-check rebutting Representative Ilhan Omar's assertion that Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted a five-year-old child for detention. According to DHS, the child was abandoned by his father during an arrest attempt in Minnesota. Democratic leaders have criticized the incident as using the child as bait.
On January 20, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an Ecuadorian national previously released into the United States under the Biden administration. As agents approached, Arias fled on foot, leaving his five-year-old child behind in the vehicle. For the child's safety, one ICE officer stayed with him while others pursued and apprehended the father.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified the sequence of events in a public post, emphasizing: "ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED." DHS noted that such procedures align with past administrations' practices, where parents can opt to be removed with their children or designate a safe guardian. Additionally, the CBP Home app allows individuals to manage their departure, including a free flight and $2,600 in assistance, while preserving future legal entry options.
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) shared a post alleging: "ICE just detained a 5-year-old child. Don’t tell us this is about ‘the worst of the worst.’ That’s a lie. Absolutely vile." This claim echoed sentiments from other Democrats. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin stated that ICE used the child as "bait" in Minnesota, calling it an act against an innocent. The party's official X account described the boy as a "bright young student" arrested after preschool and used as human bait. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) accused ICE of forcing the child to knock on his own door to lure the father, adding that officials treat families as non-persons. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) highlighted the detention of four children, including the five-year-old, questioning if they represent the "worst of the worst."
The incident underscores ongoing debates over immigration enforcement priorities under the Trump administration.
