At a Glance
- Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his 2-year-old daughter were taken by ICE in south Minneapolis.
- DHS said the father was an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who drove erratically with a child.
- About 120 people surrounded agents, throwing rocks and garbage cans before crowd-control measures were used.
- The arrest follows a recent take of a 5-year-old and his father amid a surge of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.
A 2-year-old girl and her father were seized by ICE on a Thursday in south Minneapolis, sparking confusion and anger among residents. The event unfolded as the family was returning home from a grocery store, and it is part of a broader crackdown that has seen thousands of immigration personnel deployed across Minnesota.
The Arrest
Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his daughter, Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, were stopped while driving home. A Minneapolis City Council member, Jason Chavez, posted on Instagram that a suspicious vehicle had followed the family, broken the father’s window, and kidnapped them. Chavez added that no judicial warrant was provided.
In a brief interview with James O Connor Fields, Chavez confirmed the family had been taken and that he met with the father and daughter’s family the evening of the arrest. The DHS spokesperson confirmed that Tipan-Echeverria was taken into custody and that he was driving with a child when stopped. The agency did not identify the child’s name, age or gender.
“A suspicious vehicle followed her father’s vehicle home, broke his window and kidnapped them,” Chavez wrote. “No judicial warrant was provided.”
DHS Response
DHS said Tipan-Echeverria was an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry and broke the laws of this nation. The spokesperson added that “DHS law enforcement took care of the child who the mother would not take” and that the “child and father are now reunited [at] a federal facility.”
The statement also noted that Tipan-Echeverria was driving erratically with a child in the vehicle. Agents attempted to take him into custody after he parked his car, but he refused multiple lawful commands to open his door or lower his window. DHS said agents tried to give the child to the mother, who was in the area, but she refused.
The 2-year-old girl’s mother could not immediately be reached for comment.
Community Reaction
During the arrest, approximately 120 individuals surrounded the agents, blocking them in and preventing them from exiting. The bystanders then began throwing rocks and garbage cans toward the agents and child before crowd-control measures were deployed, DHS said.
The incident echoes a recent case in which 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were taken into custody by ICE. The event drew international media attention and sparked outrage in the Twin Cities. School board chair Mary Granlund, who witnessed the arrest, disputed DHS’s claim, telling reporters that she heard an adult inside the home begging agents to leave the child.
“I heard an adult inside the home begging agents to leave the child,” Granlund told reporters.
Broader Context
The arrests come amid a broader immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. Since December, more than 3,000 federal immigration personnel have descended on Minnesota in what the federal government has dubbed Operation Metro Surge. About 3,000 people who are unlawfully in the country have been apprehended in the region in recent weeks, DHS said in a statement on Monday.
Immigration authorities were also sent to the city after a right-wing YouTuber released a viral video alleging massive fraud at child-care centers owned by Somali immigrants. The video placed renewed attention on the Justice Department’s investigation into an alleged $250 million fraud scheme involving some members of Minnesota’s Somali community.
The series of arrests and the heightened enforcement presence have intensified debate over the treatment of children and families in immigration proceedings, raising questions about the balance between national security and humanitarian concerns.
Key Takeaways
- Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his 2-year-old daughter were seized by ICE in south Minneapolis.
- DHS claims the father was an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who drove erratically with a child.
- The arrest involved a crowd of about 120 people who threw rocks and garbage cans at agents.
- The incident follows a recent take of a 5-year-old and his father amid a surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
- The broader crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, has seen more than 3,000 arrests in the region since December.
The events underscore the growing tensions between immigration authorities and local communities, as well as the complex legal and humanitarian issues surrounding the treatment of children in immigration cases.
