ICE Gets Court Backing to Arrest and Pepper-Spray Minnesota Protesters as 5-Year-Old Detained in Texas

A federal appeals court has temporarily lifted restrictions that limited how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could respond to protesters in Minnesota, giving the agency wider latitude to arrest people at demonstrations and use pepper spray. The decision has landed in an already volatile moment for the state, as local officials and school leaders also raise alarm over the detention of a five-year-old boy taken into custody with his father and later transported to a facility in Texas.

The two developments are not legally linked, yet they have quickly become politically intertwined. Together, they capture the direction of immigration enforcement in Minnesota right now, where street protests, legal challenges, and family detentions are colliding in public view.

Appeals Court Lifts Restrictions on ICE Arrests

On 21 January 2026, the Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals granted the justice department's request for an administrative stay, temporarily pausing a preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Katherine Menendez. According to The Guardian's report on the court ruling, Menendez had blocked ICE from arresting or detaining people participating in peaceful protests, using pepper spray or similar crowd dispersal tools, and stopping drivers without reasonable cause.

Menendez previously said ICE actions had a 'chilling effect' on protesters' First Amendment rights. Under her injunction, immigration agents would have been prohibited from retaliating against peaceful demonstrators, a restriction that sparked a swift response from the Trump administration.

Following the injunction, the Department of Homeland Security defended the tactics, saying ICE was taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect officers and the public. The appeals court's stay now means those restrictions are on hold while the case continues.

Federal Enforcement Faces Growing Backlash

The Guardian reported that ICE activity in Minnesota has drawn mounting criticism in recent weeks, with statewide protests escalating after the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by a federal agent. State leaders have condemned the deployment of thousands of federal agents, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and local officials describing the actions as a retaliatory campaign that has spread fear and undermined civil liberties.

At the same time, the justice department has subpoenaed several Minnesota Democrats, including Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging they conspired to impede ICE operations. The dispute has turned Minnesota into a major flashpoint over immigration enforcement and civil protest rights.

Adding to the pressure, Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Minneapolis and speak about restoring law and order, according to the White House.

5-Year-Old Boy Detained With His Father

While the court ruling drew immediate attention, a separate ICE detention case has further inflamed emotions. According to ABC News' reporting on the five-year-old asylum seeker detained by ICE, a child identified as Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody with his father in Minnesota on Tuesday.

School officials said the family has a pending asylum case and no order of deportation. They also said the child was apprehended shortly after arriving home from preschool, with his father in their driveway.

In a statement shared by officials at the boy's school, another adult in the home reportedly begged agents to let them take care of the child, but was refused. School officials alleged the agent took the child out of a still-running vehicle, walked him to the door, and directed him to knock to see if anyone else was home, describing it as using the child as 'bait.'

The father and son are currently being held in government custody, school officials said.

DHS Disputes the Account, Says Child Was 'Abandoned'

DHS provided a different version of events. ABC News reported the agency said ICE did not target a child and claimed the child was abandoned after the father fled on foot. DHS said the operation was aimed at arresting Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, described as an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador. The statement added that an ICE officer stayed with the child while others apprehended the father.

DHS also said parents can choose to be removed with their children or designate a safe person for the child to be placed with, describing that as consistent with past enforcement practices.

The family's attorney strongly pushed back. At a press conference, attorney Marc Prokosch said the father and child entered the US at a port of entry using the CBP One app and were seeking asylum. He said they did everything correctly and argued they should not be labelled illegal. Prokosch said the father and son are currently at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.

ICE Presence Is Causing Trauma in Minnesota Communities

School leaders described the situation as frightening for families. ABC News reported Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said ICE activity in the community is 'inducing trauma,' adding that agents have been circling schools and coming into parking lots.

Board Chair Mary Granlund also said the boy's mother was inside the home at the time and wanted her child. Officials said multiple other students in the district have been detained recently, including a 10-year-old and a 17-year-old, intensifying fear across the community.

Why These Two Stories Are Now Colliding

The appeals court ruling and the child detention case are separate developments, yet they are being discussed together because both touch the same core question. How far can federal immigration enforcement go in communities already on edge, and what rights do families and protesters have when ICE operations ramp up?

For Minnesota, the next few weeks are likely to bring even more legal battles, public demonstrations, and national attention. For families, school leaders, and local officials, the focus remains immediate and urgent. They want clarity, accountability, and reassurance that children will not become part of enforcement tactics that leave communities fearful to even go to school.