ICE denies using five-year-old girl as bait in Leominster arrest operation

ICE has rejected allegations that officers used a five-year-old girl as bait to lure a Guatemalan father into surrender outside his Leominster home during a recent immigration operation. The arrest targeted Edwards Hip Mejia, a Guatemala-born national who had lived in the United States for about two decades, according to local reporting and court filings. NBC Boston 10 initially reported that Mejia was followed by federal agents and that his daughter was detained outside the family’s Leominster residence during the operation, prompting a wave of questions about the tactics used in high-pressure enforcement actions.

DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the accusations that ICE used the child as bait and called the claims a “disgusting smear” on what she described as brave law enforcement officers. In a statement posted to X, McLaughlin asserted that the operation targeted a criminal individual who had prior arrests, and she characterized the charges as the result of the suspect’s behavior rather than any action by agents involving a child. McLaughlin added that the father abandoned his five-year-old daughter in a car after ignoring emergency lights, returning to his residence, and fleeing inside before officers intervened to rescue the child and call local police.

Two days later, on Sept. 18, ICE announced Mejia’s arrest and stated that he would be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. Officials noted Mejia, a Guatemala native who entered the United States in 2000, has lived in the country for roughly 22 years. Court records show multiple prior charges against Mejia dating back to January 2024, including strangulation, vandalism, and assault and battery on a family or household member, as well as reckless endangerment of a child. His wife, Jeannette, also faced similar charges in January 2024 that were dismissed in April 2024; she has offered differing accounts of the incident, noting that the family’s legal situation is complicated and requesting that her middle name be used for privacy reasons.

The family’s immigration attorney, Jacob Geller, reviewed video footage and testimony and told local outlets that agents were “clearly using the 5-year-old” to bait the parents out of the home. He described the tactic as inhumane and said the family’s portrayal in official statements was dishonest. ICE’s response to those allegations has been unequivocal in defending its officers’ actions and disputing the portrayal of the child as a bargaining chip.

Political and public-safety figures in Massachusetts reacted to the episode, expressing concern for the child’s welfare. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said she was “horrified” for the girl, and she urged a focus on safety for children during enforcement operations. In Telemundo footage, the girl—wearing pink pants and seen with a water bottle—appears distressed, and her mother described the child as autistic and pleaded for the return of her daughter while alleging harassment by officers. The video shows an agent asking for identification and the family’s attempts to comply while a crowd gathered nearby.

Leominster police responded at one point to assist with the situation and later helped reunite the child with her family. The family has insisted they are not criminals, and they have urged a thorough review of the conduct of the agents involved. Mejia remains in ICE custody while removal proceedings proceed, with officials emphasizing that the arrest was part of a broader enforcement effort against an individual with a documented criminal history and ongoing immigration violations.

The episode has intensified a broader debate over immigration enforcement tactics, including the use of family members during operations, the handling of autistic or otherwise vulnerable children, and the balance between public safety and civil liberties. Supporters of aggressive enforcement argue that operations target individuals who pose risks to public safety or who violate immigration laws, while critics warn that high-pressure tactics can threaten bystanders and undermine trust in law enforcement.

As the investigation into this operation continues, ICE officials say they will provide information as available and maintain that their officers acted lawfully and professionally. Advocates on the other side of the debate have called for greater transparency and independent review of arrest procedures to prevent perceived or real harms to families during immigration enforcement.