A bomb threat against a Minnesota school district that has seen five of its students detained by ICE agents in recent weeks forced the district to cancel classes Monday.
The threat against Columbia Heights Public Schools was “racially and politically motivated,” the local police department told Minnesota CBS affiliate WCCO. No explosive devices were found near district property.
Columbia Heights entered the national spotlight when a 5-year-old kindergarten student in the district, Liam Conejo Ramos, was arrested by ICE officers after leaving school. Photos of the boy being detained while wearing a Spider-Man backpack and bunny hat spread widely.
Ramos was one of five students in the district to be detained by ICE agents, district administrators said. School leaders spoke openly against President Trump’s immigration crackdown throughout the state.
A bomb threat against multiple schools in the district was sent via email on Monday morning, local authorities said. The threat followed the return of Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, to Minnesota after a judge ordered their release from an immigration jail in Texas.
“Due to the timing of the information, it was not possible to fully investigate the threats prior to student arrival, and a decision was made to prioritize the safety of staff and students and cancel school for the day,” the Columbia Heights Police Department wrote on Facebook.
However, no explosive devices were found in a follow-up search of the schools, and classes are set to resume on Tuesday.
“The police department is working with other law enforcement agencies to continue the investigation into the source of the threats,” the department wrote.
