Chaos in Minneapolis as ICE detains father and toddler in 'targeted operation'

A deeply distressing scene unfolded in Minneapolis on Thursday, when ICE agents detained Elvis Joel Tipan-Echeverria and his two-year-old daughter, Chloe, after they returned from a grocery shop.

The arrest, described by local councillor Jason Chavez as a "kidnapping" involving smashed windows and no judicial warrant, has sparked outrage.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the "targeted enforcement operation," alleging Tipan-Echeverria had "committed felony reentry."

They also claimed he was "driving erratically with a child in the vehicle" and ignored commands. During the arrest, a crowd of 120 people reportedly threw rocks and bins at agents.

A legal battle ensued as family lawyer Kira Kelley filed an emergency petition, noting that both father and daughter have active asylum claims.

Although a judge ordered at 8:10pm that the pair remain in Minnesota, ICE had already placed them on a flight to Texas.

Attorney Irina Vaynerman told The Star Tribune: “To me, that is clearly part of this effort to try to evade the court’s jurisdiction,” adding, “We have never seen this level of depravity with a 2-year-old.”

While DHS claimed they took the child because the mother "would not take" her, the family’s lawyer alleged agents refused to hand the girl over.

Thankfully, the toddler was reunited with her mother on Friday evening, though her father remains in a Texas detention facility.

This case follows a similar incident involving a five-year-old earlier this week, further fuelling accusations that federal agencies are continuing to separate families.