Family-man JD Vance Says He Is Proud of ICE Despite Claims They Used Boy 5 as Bait
Minneapolis has been on edge all week, and things only got worse after federal agents clashed with the community over a five-year-old boy caught in an immigration raid. That was the scene Vice President JD Vance walked into on Thursday. He was there to talk with local leaders, but the conversation quickly turned to the administration's aggressive tactics.The Vice President, who recently announced he is expecting his fourth child, found himself defending an operation where a young boy was allegedly used as a pawn to lure residents out of a home.Vice President Vance Defends 'Law Enforcement' Tactics Amidst ControversyWhen pressed by reporters about the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, Vance didn't flinch. He made it clear that arrests have to happen, even if it looks bad to detain a child. The boy was apprehended alongside his father shortly after returning from preschool on Tuesday. Vance's response to the incident was blunt.'What are they supposed to do?' he asked, challenging the idea that the child's presence should stop police work. Vance argued that the father, an illegal immigrant, had tried to fight back, making things much harder for the officers on the ground.When asked directly if he felt pride regarding the administration's current deportation strategy, Vance doubled down. 'I'm proud of the fact that we're standing behind law enforcement, and I'm proud of the fact that we're enforcing the country's laws.'Conflicting Accounts: Was The Child Used As Bait Or Abandoned?The narrative surrounding the arrest of Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is sharply divided. Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of the local school district, provided a disturbing account of the event. She alleged that an agent removed Liam from the vehicle and physically directed him to knock on his front door.According to Stenvik, this was done 'in order to see if anyone else was home—essentially using a five-year-old as bait.' This characterisation of events has fuelled outrage among anti-ICE protesters, who argue the tactics are inhumane.However, the Department of Homeland Security vehemently disputes this version of events. In a statement released earlier, a spokesperson insisted that 'ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED.' The statement further claimed that the operation targeted Conejo Arias, described as an illegal alien from Ecuador who had been 'RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration.'The DHS narrative asserts that as agents approached, the father 'fled on foot -- abandoning his child.' They maintain that an officer remained with the boy for his safety while others pursued the father. Both father and son are now being held at the South Texas Family Residential Center, a facility specifically designated for families.Vance Attempts To Clarify Immunity Comments After Fatal ShootingThe backdrop to this latest controversy is the fatal shooting of Renee Good on January 7. The 37-year-old American citizen and mother of three was killed in her SUV by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. An autopsy revealed she suffered three gunshot wounds, including one to the head.In the immediate aftermath, Vance, along with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, labelled Good a 'domestic terrorist' and a 'deranged leftist', insisting the officer acted in self-defence. At an incendiary press conference on January 8, Vance had claimed federal agents possessed 'absolute immunity'.However, during his Thursday visit, Vance adopted a more conciliatory tone, likely in response to polling that shows growing public disapproval of ICE's conduct. He sought to clarify his previous remarks on immunity. 'I didn't say that officers who engaged in wrongdoing would enjoy immunity. That's absurd,' he told reporters.Vance also addressed the broader chaos in the community, suggesting that local resistance was partly to blame. 'Do we want these arrests to be so chaotic? No, we don't... But if we had a little cooperation from local and state officials, I think the chaos would go way down in this community,' he said.
Balancing Fatherhood and Hardline Immigration PolicyThe vice president's defence of the operation was particularly notable given his personal circumstances. With Second Lady Usha Vance expecting their fourth child, Vance invoked his own family life to contextualise his stance. 'His dad was an illegal alien, and when they went to arrest his illegal alien father, the father ran,' Vance said, noting that one of his own children is also five.He presented the scenario as a binary choice for the agents involved. 'So the story is that ICE detained a five-year-old. Well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?'Vance argued that using parenthood as a shield against arrest would set a dangerous precedent. 'If the argument is that you can't arrest people who have violated our laws because they have children, then every single parent is going to be completely given immunity from ever being the subject of law enforcement. That doesn't make any sense.'Despite the Vice President's justification, reports from local police suggest continued friction, citing concerns over racial profiling and a leaked memo that allegedly authorised home entries without judicial warrants.
