Andrew Bates, a former senior deputy press secretary to President Biden, retweeted a message mourning the death of 8‑year‑old Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez, who died in Border Patrol custody in 2023, calling the death “absolutely wrong.” Republican commentators criticized Bates because the death took place while he served in the Biden White House. Bates defended his remarks and framed them as opposition to what he described as ICE's cruelty. The exchange comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE and CBP after Operation Metro Surge and separate fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Ex‑Biden Aide Draws GOP Backlash After Retweet About Child's Death In Border Patrol Custody
Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, the father of Liam Ramos, is being detained with his son in Texas after being arrested by federal immigration authorities.(Fox News)
Andrew Bates, a former senior deputy press secretary to President Joe Biden, sparked criticism from Republican commentators after he retweeted a post mourning the death of an 8‑year‑old child who died while in Border Patrol custody in 2023.
The original post, shared by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, highlighted the case of Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez, who suffered from sickle cell anemia and a heart condition. Bates added a brief comment to the repost: Not about Democrat or Republican/left or right. Just absolutely wrong.
GOP Response
Conservative figures quickly seized on the timing of Alvarez's death, noting that it occurred in 2023 during the Biden administration. Tim Murtaugh, who served as a communications director for Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign, mocked Bates on social media for apparently not acknowledging that the death occurred while Bates served in the administration. Greg Price, a former rapid response manager in the Trump White House, also called attention to the year of the incident.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to conduct immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Jan. 28, 2026.
“What’s remarkable, Andrew, is the level of pride you must have felt when posting this, completely unaware that it had happened while you worked in the White House yourself,” Tim Murtaugh wrote.
Bates' Defense
Bates replied to critics in the post's comment thread, reiterating his position: “I stand by what I said. It’s horrible and shouldn’t have happened.” He also wrote that he was proud the American people were rejecting what he described as “the cruelty that ICE is forcing on Americans and immigrants, putting all of us in danger,” and said he hoped opponents could agree on opposing such cruelty.
Fox News Digital reached out to Bates for comment.
Wider Context: Minneapolis Operations And Agents Under Scrutiny
The exchange unfolded as federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis has come under intense scrutiny. Operation Metro Surge, an ICE enforcement operation that began in December 2025, deployed thousands of agents to the city and has prompted debate over tactics and oversight.
This undated photo provided by Michael Pretti shows Alex J. Pretti, the man who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis Jan. 24, 2026.
Federal authorities recently detained 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, an Ecuadorian national officials say is in the U.S. illegally. The pair are being held at an immigration detention facility in Texas.
Separately, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, while he was recording federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis. The agents involved were placed on administrative leave. Pretti’s death followed the killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, in a separate shooting by a federal agent. The Department of Homeland Security has described both shootings as acts of “self‑defense,” and Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche confirmed that the Department of Justice has opened a civil‑rights investigation into Pretti's death.
Public sentiment appears to be shifting: a Fox News poll found that 59% of voters believe ICE's tactics are now “too aggressive,” up from 49% in July 2025. The controversy around Bates' retweet and the renewed focus on ICE and CBP underscore how immigration enforcement remains a flashpoint in national politics.
Fox News' Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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