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In total, four school children were detained in the same district.
A suburban Minneapolis school district says fear has replaced routine after several of its students were detained by federal immigration officers in recent weeks.
Columbia Heights Public School District officials say four students were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leaving what they describe as a shattered sense of trust, CBS News, Newsweek and The Washington Post reports.
According to the district, two children were detained on Tuesday. One was a 17-year-old boy who was stopped while driving to school and taken from his car by officers.
Later that same day, 5-year-old Liam Ramos was detained alongside his father shortly after returning home from preschool.
Doorstep arrest
School officials say officers approached the family’s driveway and used the child to prompt someone to open the door, allowing them to check who else was inside.
“Why detain a 5-year-old? You can’t tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal,” Superintendent Zena Stenvik said ata news conference Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.
The district says the family is complying with U.S. immigration rules and has an active asylum case without a deportation order.
Earlier incident
Two weeks earlier, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student was detained with her mother while walking to elementary school, district officials said.
During the arrest, the child called her father to say ICE agents were taking her to school. When he arrived, school staff informed him that both his daughter and wife had already been taken away.
Officials say the families are now being held at a detention facility in Texas.
Call for action
District leaders say they are seeking clarity on the arrests and urging public involvement, noting similar incidents affecting students across Minnesota.
“We are asking to please reach out to your congressional representative to ask for an immediate and peaceful resolution to this occupation,” Stenvik said. “Please help us and other schools to again be a safe place where all belong and all succeed.”
The district has retained an immigration attorney and says ICE presence near school buildings continues to keep the community on edge.
Sources: Columbia Heights Public School District statements, The Washington Post, CBS News, Newsweek
