The Department of Homeland Security slammed a social media post on Thursday by the Democrats' official account, which claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a 5-year-old on his way back from preschool, and attempted to use him as bait.
"In Minneapolis, ICE arrested a 5-year-old coming home from preschool and tried to use him as human bait," the initial post read. "His teacher describes him as 'a bright young student.' These monsters are sick."
In Minneapolis, ICE arrested a 5-year-old coming home from preschool and tried to use him as human bait.
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) January 22, 2026
His teacher describes him as “a bright young student.”
These monsters are sick. pic.twitter.com/JSfjQsvoP8
"ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED," DHS shot back in a social media post. "On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias."
Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement. Parents can take control of their departure and receive a free flight and $2,600 with the CBP Home app. By using the CBP Home app illegal aliens reserve the chance to come back the right legal way.
This, of course, is not the first time Democrats have seized on an immigration enforcement action to paint ICE as malicious. The party has repeatedly accused agents of "kidnapping" children in what officials say is an effort to demonize the agency.
In each of these cases, the facts tell a very different story: the child was never targeted, never in danger, and was immediately placed in the care of an ICE officer while agents apprehended his father, who had fled and abandoned him. Yet despite a plethora of legal safeguards, the continued debunking of these stories, and ICE's commitment to enforcing the law, Democrats continue to cast ICE as a threat to children and Americans at large.
