Chloe Villacis GoFundMe: Why ICE detained 2-year-old in Minneapolis amid Liam Ramos outrage

Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez claimed a two-year-old, identified as Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, and her father, Elvis Joel Tipan Echeverria, were taken into custody in Minneapolis on Thursday while they were driving home from a grocery store. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to help the child's mother, who is scrambling to cover legal fees and basic expenses.

This comes only days after reports about a five-year-old, Liam Ramos, being detained first surfaced. The ICE on Friday clarified that the child remains with his family.

Jason Chavez said that Villacis's detention has left her mother helpless. A fundraiser titled “Help bring 2-Year-Old Chloe and Her Father Home” says both remain in ICE custody, though it does not specify where they are being held or whether the father has been formally charged.

At the time of writing this story, the campaign had raised nearly $60,000 to cover bond requests, legal costs, rent, and living expenses.

“With the permission of the mother, we are reaching out to community to help us raise funds for lawyer fees, food, bond requests, rent, livability and resources to keep this family together,” Chavez wrote on the GoFundMe page created on behalf of Chloe’s mother, Deicy Villacis Ruiz. “No family should ever go through this.”

MinnPost photojournalist Ellen Schmidt shared images on Instagram showing federal agents surrounding a vehicle as a man believed to be Echeverria held a toddler in his arms. The images also show bystanders blowing whistles, shouting at officers, and appearing to be struck with a chemical irritant as agents tried to leave the area.

The Department of Homeland Security addressed the incident. A DHS spokesperson, as per Daily Beast, said: “On January 22 at approximately 1:09 PM CT, while conducting a targeted enforcement operation, Border Patrol identified Elvis Tipan-Echeverria, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who committed felony reentry and broke the laws of this nation. Tipan-Echeverria was driving erratically with a child in the vehicle."

“Tipan-Echeverria later parked his vehicle and agents attempted to take Tipan-Echeverria into custody, but he refused multiple lawful commands to open his door or lower his window. Agents took Tipan-Echeverria into custody and attempted to give the child to the mother who was in the area, but she refused."

“During the arrest, approximately 120 individuals surrounded the agents blocking them in and preventing exit. Agitators in the crowd then began to throw rocks and garbage cans toward the agents and child. To safely clear the area, crowd control measures were deployed. Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime."

“DHS law enforcement took care of the child whom the mother would not take. Child and father are now reunited at a federal facility.”