Protesters gather outside Liam Ramos' elementary school after he was taken by ICE: "Justice for the kid in the bunny hat"

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights outside Valley View Elementary School on Saturday, where 5-year-old Liam Ramos was taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month.

Demonstrators — demanding the return of Ramos and other children and families who have been detained — spoke to CBS News Miami, saying they won't be silenced as passionate pleas for change were heard in the streets.

"I came 60 miles to be here, because I think it's important," said protestor Jeff Benny. "These people need to be treated like human beings."

"We will not be quiet, we will not stand down until our kids are home!" added protest organizer Lucas Moreault.

The people of Columbia Heights told CBS News Miami that this is the coldest winter they've experienced in five years. However, they said it does not matter -- they are here out in solidarity to tell the federal government that they want the children who have been detained by ICE in their community to come home, including Ramos.

Ramos is the 5-year-old little boy whose name is being echoed across the world, after he was detained by ICE earlier this month.

Neighbors are hoping he'll be released soon after a judge ordered him and his father to be released on Saturday.

"Liam really resonated with me because I have an 8-year-old son, and my son wore that same coat that he had, he had that coat," Moreault told CBS News Miami. "I see Liam in my son, and I see the innocence of a child that was taken from this community who was coming home from school, who was here legally."

Protesters in the crowd, spotted wearing bunny hats, the same kind Liam had when he was taken by ICE.

"Liam's middle name is Conejo, which stands for bunny rabbit, and Liam, when he's awake, has been asking about his hat and his backpack that ICE took and did not give back to him," Moreault said.

Sam Hickok, a local boy protesting with his mother, Rachel, told CBS News Miami that seeing children detained by ICE makes him very angry.

"They did nothing wrong," he said. "What did they do?"

"It's a really incredible experience to share this with my kid," added Rachel Hickok. "This is life in action, this is the thing that we'll look back as parents and grandparents and say we were here and we were fighting for our country, for our democracy, and for the care of our community."

This community says they're in a crisis — but they say it's a crisis that has turned neighbors into family. 

"We are going to stand as a community, and we will not allow our state to turn," Moreault said. "And we will never hate each other here."

"Justice for the kid in the bunny hat!" exclaimed Sam Hickok.