**DHS Agents Accused of Using 5-Year-Old Girl as Bait During Leominster Operation; Agency Denies Allegations**
In a recent operation in Leominster, Massachusetts, allegations surfaced that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents used a 5-year-old girl as bait. However, the agency has strongly denied these claims, clarifying that the child was abandoned by her father — a wanted illegal alien who fled from officers attempting to arrest him.
The incident occurred during an August operation targeting Edwards Hip Mejia, who has been living illegally in the United States for over two decades. Mejia was wanted on multiple criminal charges, including domestic abuse, strangulation, and property vandalism, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
During the attempted arrest, Mejia refused to stop for ICE officers and instead drove to his home located about an hour northwest of Boston. Upon arrival, he fled inside his residence, flipping his middle finger at the agents in pursuit. In his haste, Mejia left his 5-year-old daughter behind in the vehicle.
Video footage recorded by the family captured the tense exchange between ICE officers and Mejia at his doorstep. An officer can be heard asking, “Is that your daughter? Come here so I can see those IDs.” Mejia replied, “Hey, I can give it through the door.” The officer insisted Mejia step outside to present identification in person.
When Mejia realized his daughter remained near the officers, he shouted, “Don’t touch her!” An agent responded, “You’re more than welcome to come pick her up.” Both Mejia and his wife refused to exit the home. Notably, both have resided in the United States illegally for over 20 years.
ICE eventually took custody of the girl, who is a U.S. citizen, and after about three hours, she was released to her grandmother’s care.
In response to media reports, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin spoke to the Boston Globe, firmly rejecting the claims that the child was used as leverage. “ICE agents NEVER used a 5-year-old girl as bait,” she emphasized.
McLaughlin detailed the sequence of events: Mejia ignored officers’ emergency lights, abandoned the vehicle in front of his home, gave officers the double middle finger, and rushed inside. Officers then helped secure the child and promptly contacted local police to report the abandonment.
The DHS statement concluded with a pointed message directed at media outlets involved in spreading the allegations: “Stop the smears. Stop the lies.”
Two days after the confrontation, ICE arrested Mejia while he was on his way to work. His wife confirmed to Telemundo that he is currently held at an ICE detention facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. “Officers came out behind my house, arrested him, took him away,” she said. “We are not criminals.”
Originally from Guatemala, Mejia and his wife have two children, both born in the United States. Federal officials have not provided further comments on pending legal proceedings but stressed that initial media reports mischaracterized ICE officers’ conduct during the operation.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/09/nbc-news-busted-pushing-vile-anti-ice-lies-the-day-before-dallas-ice-shooting-watch/