ICE detaining a 2-year-old in Minneapolis sparks outrage as immigration raids under Operation Metro Surge put children at the centre of US crackdown.
DHS defended the detention, stating that Tipan-Echeverria is “an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry and broke the laws of this nation. (Photo: Social Media)
A routine trip back from a grocery store turned into a traumatic experience for a Minnesota family after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a 2-year-old child along with her father in Minneapolis. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, has triggered national outrage and renewed scrutiny of aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in the United States.
Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his daughter, Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, were taken into custody while returning home. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal agents stopped the vehicle after claiming the father was driving erratically. The child was placed in ICE custody despite her age.
The situation escalated further when the toddler was flown to Texas, even though a court order required her immediate release. By Friday afternoon, the child was finally freed. “The child is out of detention as of this afternoon and recovering from this horrific ordeal,” the family’s attorney, Kira Kelley, said.
DHS defended the detention, stating that Tipan-Echeverria is “an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry and broke the laws of this nation.” Officials claimed he refused to open his car door or lower the window despite lawful commands.
According to DHS, agents attempted to hand the child over to her mother, who was reportedly nearby. “Agents took Tipan-Echeverria into custody and attempted to give the child to the mother who was in the area, but she refused,” the spokesperson said.
However, local leaders strongly disputed the official version. Minneapolis City Council member Jason Chavez alleged misconduct, writing on Instagram, “A suspicious vehicle followed her father's vehicle home, broke his window, and kidnapped them. No judicial warrant was provided.”
As ICE agents attempted to leave the area with the father and child, tensions flared. Around 120 people reportedly surrounded the officers, blocking their exit. Objects, including rocks and garbage cans, were thrown toward the agents and the toddler before authorities restored order.
The confrontation highlighted growing public anger over immigration raids, particularly those involving children.
The Minneapolis case is not isolated. Earlier this week, federal agents detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, as he arrived home from preschool in Minnesota with his father.
School officials said agents removed the child from a running car in the driveway. Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik accused officers of exploiting the child, saying they told him to knock on his home’s door to check if anyone was inside, “essentially using a 5-year-old as bait.”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denied targeting children, stating, “ICE did NOT target a child.” She said agents were pursuing the boy’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who fled on foot. “For the child's safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,” she added.
Both cases are linked to Operation Metro Surge, a massive immigration enforcement effort launched in December 2025. The operation focuses largely on the Minneapolis–St Paul area and involves nearly 3,000 federal agents.
Costing taxpayers an estimated $18 million per week, the operation has been described as the largest federal law enforcement deployment in US history. Critics argue it has blurred the line between enforcing immigration law and endangering children, as at least five minors have now been detained in recent weeks.
The detention of young children has intensified debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Civil rights groups, local officials, and immigration advocates warn that aggressive enforcement actions risk causing lasting trauma to minors.
As legal challenges mount and public pressure grows, these cases have pushed immigration policy back into the national spotlight, raising urgent questions about how far enforcement should go—and at what human cost.
