ICE Detains Fathers, Sends Toddlers to Texas, Father Deported to El Paso
Updated (3 articles)
ICE arrests parents during routine activities In Shoreline, Washington, agents stopped Ivan Guzman while he was dropping his two‑year‑old son off at daycare and placed him in ICE custody [1]. A week earlier in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ICE agents pursued Elvis Tipan‑Echeverria and his two‑year‑old daughter, detaining both at the Henry Whipple Federal Building [2]. Both arrests occurred without a warrant and during ordinary family errands, prompting nationwide criticism of enforcement tactics.
Children separated and transported across state lines Guzman’s son remained strapped in his car seat, was briefly cared for by a local restaurant owner, and later reunited with his mother after Guzman was transferred to an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas [1]. In Minneapolis, the toddler was placed in an ICE vehicle lacking a car seat, flown to Texas on a commercial flight, and returned to her mother the following afternoon despite a court‑ordered release deadline [2]. The rapid movement of minors across state lines underscores procedural gaps in child‑safety protocols.
Court orders and agency actions contradict each other A Minnesota emergency petition demanded the toddler’s release by 9:30 p.m.; nevertheless, ICE dispatched the child to Texas at 8:30 p.m., violating the order [2]. ICE officials in Washington have not disclosed the specific grounds for Guzman’s arrest, leaving the father’s detention in El Paso unexplained [1]. These discrepancies highlight a pattern of limited transparency and potential overreach in immigration enforcement.
Local businesses and communities feel immediate fallout Veronica Castañeda, owner of El Cubano To Go, lost her right‑hand chef after Guzman’s removal, describing the impact on daily operations and condemning the criminalization of family support [1]. Approximately 120 protesters surrounded Minneapolis agents, prompting the use of chemical agents and other crowd‑control measures [2]. Advocacy groups cite both incidents as evidence that ICE detentions traumatize children and destabilize neighborhoods.
Sources
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1.
King5: Shoreline father deported after ICE arrest leaves toddler alone – Details the Shoreline arrest, the toddler’s brief custody by a restaurant owner, Guzman’s transfer to an El Paso ICE facility, and the owner’s loss of a key employee .
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2.
CNN: Toddler Detained by ICE in Minneapolis Flown to Texas, Returned Next Day – Describes the Minneapolis raid, the court‑ordered release ignored, the child’s flight to Texas and return, protest dynamics, and DHS’s justification for the seizure .
Timeline
Jan 23, 2026 – ICE and Border Patrol detain Elvis Joel Tipan Echeverria and his 2‑year‑old daughter in Minneapolis after a warrantless stop, holding them at the Bishop Whipple Federal Building. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – A U.S. District Court judge orders the toddler’s release to attorney Kira Kelly by 9:30 p.m.; ICE instead places the child on a commercial flight to Texas, directly contravening the order. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – DHS claims the mother refused to take the child, while the family’s attorneys dispute any such offer, underscoring a custody dispute. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez‑Cruz launches a GoFundMe campaign naming the child “Chloe” to cover legal fees and basic needs. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – Groundwork Legal CEO Irina Vaynerman accuses ICE of deliberately evading federal jurisdiction by sending the toddler to Texas. [2]
Jan 24, 2026 – Approximately 120 protesters surround ICE agents at the Henry Whipple Federal Building, throwing rocks and garbage cans; ICE deploys chemical agents and other crowd‑control tactics to clear the area. [1]
Jan 24, 2026 – Despite a court emergency petition ordering the child’s release by 9:30 p.m., ICE flies the toddler to Texas at 8:30 p.m., less than twenty minutes after the order. [1]
Jan 24, 2026 – The child returns to her mother on Friday afternoon after ICE agrees to fly her back, and family lawyer Kira Kelley says she is “recovering from this horrific ordeal.” [1]
Jan 24, 2026 – DHS says the father drove erratically and refused commands, noting agents broke the car window and placed the child in an ICE vehicle without a car seat—a claim the father’s lawyer disputes. [1]
Jan 24, 2026 – The incident follows the earlier detention of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was also flown to Texas during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, intensifying public outcry over ICE’s handling of minors. [1]
Jan 31, 2026 – ICE arrests Ivan Guzman at a Shoreline, Washington daycare drop‑off, detaining him while his 2‑year‑old son remains strapped in a car seat and traffic lanes are blocked. [3]
Jan 31, 2026 – Restaurant owner Veronica Castañeda takes custody of the toddler after the arrest, describing the child as frightened and noting the father’s removal disrupts her business. [3]
Jan 31, 2026 – ICE rapid‑response officers stay on scene longer because of the child, moving the car and observing the boy’s lunch still in the seat, illustrating how a toddler alters standard enforcement routines. [3]
Jan 31, 2026 – Guzman is transferred to an ICE detention center in El Paso, Texas; his son is reunited with his mother, highlighting the family‑separation impact of the operation. [3]
Jan 31, 2026 – Advocacy groups criticize ICE’s lack of disclosed arrest details and argue the episode exemplifies how immigration enforcement traumatizes children during routine activities. [3]