The Department of Homeland Security responded to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) with a fact-check after she shared a post alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers had detained a five-year-old child.
DHS shared a post explaining that the child in question had only come to be in ICE custody because the father — an illegal alien who was being targeted for arrest at the time — had abandoned his child in his unsuccessful attempt to evade capture.
“ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED,” the DHS post read. “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,” the post continued. “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.”
ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED.
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… https://t.co/UmxxV34omm
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 22, 2026
Omar’s post prompting the fact-check suggested that the child was actually the target of the ICE operation, claiming that Homeland Security was not, as Trump administration officials have said, only going after the “worst of the worst” criminal illegals: “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.”
Omar was not the only one to jump on that particular narrative. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin offered a similar take, saying, “ICE detained a 5-year-old child in Minnesota to use as ‘bait.’ An innocent child. America, let this sink in. This is what the government is doing right in front of our eyes.”
The Democratic Party’s official X account added, “In Minneapolis, ICE arrested a 5-year-old coming home from preschool and tried to use him as human bait. His teacher describes him as ‘a bright young student.’ These monsters are sick.”
And from Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA): “ICE just used a 5-year-old boy as bait, forcing him to knock on his own door so they could arrest his father. Trump, ICE and CBP don’t see these families as people, and that’s exactly how they’re treating them.”
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) also got in on the action, posting, “Four CHILDREN, including a 5-year-old, were detained by ICE yesterday in Minnesota. This is who this regime thinks is the ‘worst of the worst’?”
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