Columbia Heights schools are reeling after district officials say four students have been detained by federal immigration agents in recent weeks, including a 5-year-old preschooler and a 10-year-old fourth grader who school leaders say were transferred to detention centers in Texas. The arrests, some unfolding as children walked to school or shortly after they arrived home, have left families scrambling and teachers shaken. District leaders held a news conference at Valley View Elementary to demand transparency and legal help for the families caught in the middle.
District Leaders Demand Answers
At the news conference, Superintendent Zena Stenvik said the recent enforcement activity has "shaken" the community and described agents taking students and parents from neighborhood streets and apartment buildings. As reported by the Star Tribune, Stenvik said she had personally reviewed asylum paperwork for one family and asked, "Why detain a 5-year-old?"
Youngest Student Taken From Home
District officials identified the preschooler as 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and said he was taken along with his father in their driveway after preschool. The family’s attorney told reporters that both were transferred to a detention center in Texas. According to the Sahan Journal, school staff shared photos and detailed accounts of what they saw, and said another adult at the scene offered to care for the child but was turned away.
Other Detentions And School-Day Encounters
District leaders also said a 10-year-old fourth grader was detained while walking to elementary school with her mother, and a 17-year-old student was pulled from a car by armed, masked agents, leaving some family members in custody. As reported by CBS Minnesota, school officials are now working with an immigration lawyer to help locate detained relatives and support the students left behind.
Schools And Families Feel The Impact
Officials say the ripple effects were immediate. Attendance has dropped sharply, with the district reporting that roughly a third of students were absent on one recent day. Administrators have moved some activities indoors and expanded online learning options for families who fear immigration enforcement near bus stops. The Star Tribune also reported that district leaders said ICE vehicles had pulled onto Columbia Heights High School property before administrators told agents to leave.
Legal Context And Next Steps
District leaders said affected families are working with immigration attorneys. One lawyer representing Liam’s family said he is exploring a habeas corpus petition in an effort to secure the child’s release. The broader legal battle over federal enforcement tactics is already in the courts. The ACLU of Minnesota and partner organizations recently filed a class-action complaint challenging warrantless stops and detentions tied to Operation Metro Surge, according to a press release from the ACLU.
Superintendent Stenvik urged elected officials to push for answers about where children are being held and how they are being treated, saying the district's "hearts are shattered." Columbia Heights Public Schools has posted a "Know Your Rights" page for families, and community groups have mobilized to provide legal and material support as parents search for detained relatives, as reported by Bring Me The News.
