10-year-old Elizabeth detained by ICE, transported 1,200 miles to Texas, released after judge blocks removal
Feb 6, 2026·Location: Minneapolis, MN
Country of origin: Ecuador

Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, a 10-year-old fourth-grader from Columbia Heights Public School District in suburban Minneapolis, was detained by ICE agents on January 6, 2026, along with her mother Rosa Elena Caisaguano Cajilema while being driven to her school bus stop. Agents told Elizabeth they would take her to school but instead transported both of them 1,200 miles to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. The family had fled Ecuador and sought asylum in 2020; their asylum application was denied in September 2025, but they had a pending appeal. Both developed illnesses during their month-long detention—Elizabeth with flu-like symptoms and her mother with hives—with limited medical care provided. At least six other children from the same school district were sent to the Dilley detention center over the following weeks as part of Operation Metro Surge. After a habeas corpus petition was filed, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ruled on February 2 that they could not be deported while their case proceeds. Elizabeth and her mother were released on February 3 and returned to Minnesota with their asylum appeal remaining pending.
Timeline
Sources
- CBS News
- 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
abc17news.com·Feb 6, 2026·archived copy
KESQ·Feb 6, 2026·archived copy
- ICE sends 2-year-old from Minneapolis to Texas, despite court order
sahanjournal.com·Jan 23, 2026·archived copy
- 10-year old Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano and Mother Released from ICE Detention After a Month - Mahomet Daily
mahometdaily.com·Feb 6, 2026·archived copy
- Columbia Heights 11-year-old, mother return to Minnesota following nearly a month in Texas detention center
KSTP·Feb 5, 2026·archived copy
- Kinder verschwinden auf dem Schulweg - Der laufende Fall Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano
kaizen-blog.org·Feb 3, 2026·archived copy
- 10-Year-Old Minnesota Girl Released From ICE Custody After Month in Dilley Detention
crbcnews.com·Feb 5, 2026·archived copy
- Columbia Heights: ICE Release Sparked by School District’s Plea
news.quantosei.com·Feb 4, 2026·archived copy
- usnews.com
- ICE detains four Minnesota children including five-year-old, school officials say
thestar.com.my·Jan 22, 2026
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