White House, DHS push back on claims ICE targeted 5-year-old in Minnesota, say child was 'abandoned'

The Department of Homeland Security said a child, who Minnesota Democrats alleged was targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was really "abandoned" during an migration enforcement operation. 

After Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., shared an representation of a 5-year-old lad online and claimed helium was arrested by ICE portion coming location from pre-school, the White House fired backmost successful a connection to Fox News Digital. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson condemned what the Trump medication views arsenic the mainstream media moving "hand-in-glove with Democrats to dispersed malicious lies astir ICE operations." 

"It’s shameful that the media truthful rapidly runs with the fake Democrat communicative without archetypal getting the facts," Jackson said. "Here’s the reality: ICE officers enactment heroically with the utmost professionalism to marque American communities safer. In this instance, they stayed with a kid who was abandoned by his begetter – an amerciable alien from Ecuador."

"The media’s lies person consequences – assaults against ICE officers person accrued by 1300% due to the fact that of unsafe smears against them by elected Democrats that are amplified by the press," she added. "The Trump Administration is not lone removing unsafe transgression amerciable aliens from the country, but we are besides locating the countless migrant children that Joe Biden lost. Thanks to the Administration’s efforts good implicit 120,000 children person been located."

MINNESOTA AGITATORS ARRESTED IN WAKE OF CHURCH INVASION, BONDI SAYS

A photograph shows a young kid lasting beside a conveyance during an ICE operation. (Columbia Heights Public Schools)

The comments travel arsenic a photograph is circulating online purportedly showing a young lad wearing a bunny-shaped wintertime chapeau lasting adjacent to a achromatic vehicle, with an adult’s manus placed connected his backpack. 

Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said the lad was taken by national agents from a moving car portion it was successful the family's driveway Tuesday afternoon. 

The child, who astatine the clip was arriving location from preschool, was later sent with his begetter to a detention installation successful Texas, The Associated Press reported, citing schoolhouse officials and the family's lawyer. 

"ICE did NOT people a child. The kid was ABANDONED," Homeland Security wrote connected X connected Thursday. "On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted cognition to apprehension Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an amerciable alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration."

"As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled connected ft — abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, 1 of our ICE officers remained with the kid portion the different officers apprehended Conejo Arias," it added. 

"Parents are asked if they privation to beryllium removed with their children, oregon ICE volition spot the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is accordant with past administration’s migration enforcement," DHS besides said.

In different post, DHS wrote: "Our officer’s made aggregate attempts to get the parent wrong the location to instrumentality custody of her child. Officers adjacent assured her that they would NOT instrumentality her into custody. She refused to judge custody of the child. The begetter told officers helium wanted the kid to stay with him. Our officers superior interest during the full cognition was the information and payment of the child. Following the mother’s abandonment of the child, officers abided by the father’s wishes to support the kid with him. Father and lad are unneurotic astatine Dilley [Immigration Processing Center]."

The Department of Homeland Security said a kid who was reported detained by national migration agents successful Minnesota this week was "abandoned" by his father, not targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  (Columbia Heights Public Schools)

Stenvik had said the household has an progressive asylum lawsuit and has not been ordered to permission the country. The schoolhouse authoritative alleged officers told the kid to sound connected the doorway to his location to spot if different radical were inside.

"Why detain a 5-year-old?" Stenvik was quoted arsenic saying, according to the AP. "You cannot archer maine that this kid is going to beryllium classified arsenic a convulsive criminal." 

The lad and his begetter were being held successful a household holding compartment successful Texas, Marc Prokosch, the family’s lawyer, said during a quality league Wednesday, according to the AP.

MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEFS ALLEGE SOME ICE AGENTS RACIALLY PROFILED US CITIZENS, INCLUDING OFF-DUTY OFFICERS

The incidental is being condemned by Minnesota Democrats. 

"Minnesotans privation safety. They privation freedom. They want what’s best for our kids. Masked agents snatching preschoolers disconnected the thoroughfare and sending them to Texas detention centers serves nary of those purposes," Walz wrote connected X connected Thursday. "This run of retribution has got to stop." 

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Thursday that, "This run of retribution has got to stop."  (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

"ICE conscionable detained a 5-year-old child. Don’t tell america this is astir ‘the worst of the worst.’ That’s a lie. Absolutely vile," Omar said the time before. 

Hillary Clinton besides wrote connected X Thursday: "Enforcing the instrumentality is 1 thing. Terrorizing a population, utilizing children arsenic pawns, is another."

In response, ICE's X relationship pushed back, saying to Clinton, "THIS IS AN ABJECT LIE."

"The kid was ABANDONED by his father, a transgression amerciable alien from Ecuador, who fled from our officers. Our officers ensured the kid was SAFE. Does your bosom besides ache for the thousands of families who person mislaid loved ones to violent, transgression amerciable alien MURDERERS? You haven’t tweeted astir those Angel Families once," it added.

The lad is the 4th pupil from Columbia Heights Public Schools who has been detained by ICE successful caller weeks, according to Stenvik.

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Columbia Heights Public Schools told Fox News Digital that it is holding a property league "Regarding Immigration Enforcement Actions Involving Students" astatine 5 p.m. ET connected Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.