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Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, a two-year-old girl from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was detained with her father by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) on January 22.
Two-year-old Chloe Villacis and her father were detained by ICE in Minneapolis, prompting a GoFundMe that raised over $50,000 for her mother. (GoFundMe | Jason Chavez )Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez made a GoFundMe fundraiser page titled “Help bring 2-year-old Chloe and her father home” to assist Chloe's mother, Deicy Vilacis Ruiz.
Read more: Chloe Villacis GoFundMe: Why ICE detained 2-year-old, her father in Minneapolis
Who is Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis? Background and family detailsChloe and her father, Elvis Joel Tipan Echverri, were stopped by an ICE agent while returning from the grocery store in South Minneapolis.
Federal authorities said that Elvis is an immigrant from Ecuador and accused him of unlawful re-entry into the United States. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement, ICE agents encountered Elvis driving “erratically with a child in the vehicle.”
DHS detailed that Elvis refused to comply with “lawful commands” to open his door and lower his window, prompting his arrest.
DHS officials said that the agents attempted to place Chloe with her mother, but according to them, she refused to take Chloe. They said that the DHS law enforcement people looked affter Chloe and that Elvis and Chloe are together at a federal facility now.
Chávez's GoFundMe page has now raised over $50,000 for Chloe's mother, Deicy, to cover the bond, legal fees, rent, and basic living expenses.
Read more: Liam Conejo Ramos case update: Where is the Minneapolis boy, 5, detained by ICE?
Bystanders protestedThe DHS said in their statement that at the time of Elvis's arrest, there were “120 individuals” blocking the ICE agents from leaving the scene. According to them, the protestors “began to throw rocks and garbage cans toward the agents and child.”
Ellen Schmidt, a photojournalist for Minnpost, also said in an Instagram post that, as the agents attempted to leave after the arrest, bystanders screamed at them and blew whistles. Schmidt also said in the post that the agents used chemical irritants on the crowd. DHS said in their statement that they had to resort to “crowd control measures” to safely clear the crowd.