Vance Refutes Blatant Lie That ICE ‘Detained’ A 5-Year-Old

Vice President J.D. Vance forcefully pushed back Thursday against media reports claiming federal immigration agents detained a 5-year-old Minnesota boy, arguing the coverage distorted the facts and falsely suggested the child was the target of enforcement.

“I actually saw this terrible story while I was coming to Minneapolis,” Vance said. “I see this story, and I am a father of a 5-year-old — a 5-year-old little boy — and I think to myself, oh my God, this is terrible. How did we arrest a 5-year-old?”

Vance explained that after reviewing additional details, the narrative collapsed under scrutiny.

“Well, I do a little bit more follow-up research,” Vance continued, “and what I find is that the five-year-old was not arrested — that his dad was an illegal alien, and then when they went to arrest his illegal alien father, the father ran.”

“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?”

The vice president’s remarks come amid growing political controversy in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained at least four students connected to the local public school district over the past two weeks, fueling protests and activist backlash.

The incident at the center of the dispute involves Liam, a 5-year-old preschool student, and his father, who were taken into custody Tuesday outside their residence. School officials and the family’s attorney allege ICE agents removed Liam from a running vehicle and used his presence to gain entry into the home.

Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, claimed another adult at the residence “begged” agents to allow them to take custody of the child, but said the request was denied. She alleged the boy was “essentially used as bait.”

Immigration attorney Marc Prokosch, who represents the family, said Liam and his father were transported to a federal family detention facility in San Antonio, Texas, where they remain in custody.

Prokosch disputed Vance’s characterization of the father as an “illegal alien,” asserting instead that he is a legal asylum seeker from Ecuador who entered the United States using the CBP One app, a Biden-era system allowing migrants to schedule appointments to present themselves at the border. The program has been widely criticized following numerous cases of alleged asylum seekers failing to appear for court hearings.

“So they did everything right when they came in,” Prokosch claimed at a Thursday press conference. “They used the app, they made an appointment, they came to the border and presented themselves to Customs and Border Patrol. They were following the process. But ICE didn’t care about the fact that they had those pending claims and then just arrested them.”

He further argued that “immigration violations are civil in nature,” adding, “You can’t justify incarcerating a child for a civil violation — and that’s not even accurate here, because they entered lawfully through the CBP One program.”

Prokosch accused ICE of violating internal Department of Homeland Security policy governing arrests of children and families without high-level authorization. “The family posed no safety threat and showed up for every required hearing,” he said.

Responding later in the day, Prokosch reiterated his criticism of the administration’s characterization of the case.

“Vice President Vance is misinformed,” he said. “This father and child are not ‘illegal aliens.’ They followed every legal step required of them and were still treated like criminals.”

ICE officials declined to comment on the specific case, citing privacy concerns and ongoing legal proceedings, but stated that officers “conduct targeted enforcement actions in accordance with federal law and policy” and that “children encountered during enforcement operations are treated with the utmost care.”

As demonstrations continue across the Twin Cities, the asylum system — now being enforced under President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Vance — has reemerged as a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement, border security, and the rule of law.

“You can’t have a country without borders,” Vance said. “You can’t have justice if the law doesn’t apply to everyone.”