2-year-old detained with father, flown to Texas despite court order
Jan 23, 2026·Location: Minneapolis, MN
Country of origin: Ecuador

Elvis Tipan-Echeverria and his 2-year-old daughter, both Ecuadorian citizens, were detained by ICE agents on January 23, 2026, after agents pursued their vehicle in a targeted enforcement operation near their Minneapolis home. Agents entered the family's driveway without a warrant, broke the vehicle window while the child was inside, and transported both father and daughter to a federal facility. Despite a court order issued at 8:11 p.m. on January 23 requiring the child's immediate release, ICE placed them on a commercial flight to Texas by 8:30 p.m. The child was returned to her mother in Minnesota on January 24, but her father remains in custody. A federal court order has barred ICE from removing the father from Minnesota during ongoing proceedings.
Sources
- Minnesota toddler taken into ICE custody with father and flown to Texas is returned to mother next day, lawyer says
CNN·Jan 24, 2026·archived copy
- ICE agents are detaining kids…from teens to toddlers
- ICE illegally detaining, moving Minnesota children to Texas faster than courts can respond
mprnews.org·Jan 28, 2026·archived copy
- She thought ICE agents were taking her to school. The 10-year-old ended up 1,200 miles away at a detention facility
us.cnn.com·Feb 6, 2026·archived copy
- ICE's detention of a 5-year-old in Minneapolis sparked fresh outcry. Here's how it unfolded
- ICE detained a 5-year old Minnesota boy. School leader says agents used him as ‘bait’
mprnews.org·Jan 21, 2026·archived copy
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