Tipsheet

JD Vance Sets the Record Straight on the Fake News About ICE in Minneapolis

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  January 23, 2026 6:50 AM

Vice President JD Vance was in Minneapolis yesterday and slapped down the viral fake news story that permeated the liberal media airwaves all day. If it wasn’t former Special Counsel Jack Smith being used as a punching bag by congressional Republicans yesterday during his testimony about his anti-Trump investigations, it was this wild tale of ICE agents in Minneapolis using kids as bait to lure their illegal alien parents for arrest: 

Yeah, the father ran away and abandoned his child, so what’s ICE supposed to do, let the kid freeze to death—a point the Vice President Vance made when he was questioned about this incident. 

“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 given immunity,” said the vice president.  

As Vance noted, that doesn’t make any sense. 

From DHS: 

ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED. 

On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration.  

As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.  

Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement. Parents can take control of their departure and receive a free flight and $2,600 with the CBP Home app. By using the CBP Home app illegal aliens reserve the chance to come back the right legal way. 

The point is if local and state officials cooperated with ICE, the chaos would be reduced dramatically. The vice president was in the city with local business leaders and law enforcement officials for a roundtable discussion.