Yesterday, KARE 11 published a story in which officials from the Columbia Heights School District claimed that a 5-year-old preschool student was detained by ICE. That claim was amplified by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar who said, “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.”
However, DHS responded to this story and said the child was not targeted, but was instead abandoned by an illegal alien from Ecuador who ICE was pursuing. DHS said, “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.”
In a statement issued this afternoon, DHS said, “Our officers made multiple attempts to get the mother inside the house to take custody of her child. Officers even assured her that they would NOT take her into custody. She refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.”
DHS noted that parents get to choose if they want to be deported with their child, or if they want their child to be placed with a person chosen by the parent.
“Our officers’ primary concern during the entire operation was the safety and welfare of the child,” added DHS. “Following the mother’s abandonment of the child, officers abided by the father’s wishes to keep the child with him. Father and son are together at Dilley.”
