Mara Klecker
Reporter
Suburban K-12 schoolsA native South Dakotan and a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's journalism college, Klecker has always called the Midwest home. She's worked on journalism projects in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Nepal. In her free time, she can be found reading, hiking or planning her next international trip. She lives in the north metro with her husband and two dogs.
Latest from Mara Klecker
Two Columbia Heights elementary school students detained in Texas facility return to Minnesota
At least seven students in the suburban school district have been detained by federal agents in recent weeks.
February 4, 2026
Minnesota school districts, teachers union sue Trump administration over ICE activity near schools
Fridley and Duluth public schools and Education Minnesota say responding to the surge of immigration enforcement has diverted time and money from student learning.
February 4, 2026
Minnesota schools in ‘crisis mode’ scramble to support students amid ICE surge
Across Minnesota, school staff who were already overwhelmed are mobilizing to help families affected by immigration enforcement.
January 30, 2026
Lawmakers, school leaders worry about health of 5-year-old who remains detained in Texas
U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett demanded that preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos and his father be released. School leaders say the boy is one of three Columbia Heights students detained in Texas with their parents.
January 29, 2026
2-year-old detained and sent to Texas with father is reunited with mother
Attorneys for the family say they were asylum-seekers who were pulled over without a warrant. The girl has since been reunited with her mother.
January 24, 2026
Witnesses dispute DHS claim that 5-year-old was ‘abandoned’ prior to ICE detainment
City and school leaders in Columbia Heights witnessed the preschooler being detained by federal agents, and say the boy could’ve been released to other adults on scene.
January 24, 2026
Detainment of 5-year-old boy draws international attention and support for his family
A Columbia Heights preschooler was detained this week with his father outside their home. They remain in a Texas detention facility.
January 23, 2026
Preschooler and three other students detained by ICE, school district leader says
The detention of a Columbia Heights 5-year-old comes after weeks of heightened concern and enforcement presence near and on Twin Cities schools’ property.
January 22, 2026
Attendance drops at Minnesota schools as federal immigration enforcement intensifies anxieties
More Twin Cities schools are offering online learning as worry rises over the surge in ICE activity, especially after a parent was detained at their child’s schoolbus stop Wednesday in Crystal.
January 15, 2026
What happened when Border Patrol agents showed up at Minneapolis’ Roosevelt High School
The confrontation occurred a few miles and just hours after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
January 10, 2026
Parents stand watch for ICE outside Minnesota schools
Some Twin Cities schools are responding to rumors about ICE agents on school properties.
January 10, 2026
Walz tells ICE to ‘stay away’ from Minnesota schools after incident at Roosevelt High School
Minneapolis schools canceled classes after two schools, including Roosevelt, went into lockdowns in south Minneapolis, within miles of an ICE shooting.
January 8, 2026
