US Representative Joaquin Castro has visited a five-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week by immigration agents in Minnesota and transferred to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. The Democratic congressman from Texas said he demanded their release and provided an update on the child's health.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Castro said he met Liam Conejo Ramos, five, and his father Adrian Conejo Arias at the South Texas Family Residential Center. He described Liam's father telling him the boy 'hasn't been himself' and 'has been sleeping a lot because he has been depressed and sad'. Castro added that Liam was asleep during the visit.
The father and son were detained on 20 January in Minneapolis on their way home from preschool. A photograph of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack being held by agents drew widespread attention. School officials said they were taken into custody in their driveway and later transferred to Texas.
The Department of Homeland Security said the father was in the country illegally and that he 'fled on foot – abandoning his child'. However, school officials disputed this account, saying an adult at the home offered to care for Liam. The family's attorney also challenged DHS claims, stating they entered the US at a legal port of entry and have an active asylum case.
A federal judge temporarily blocked their deportation on Monday while litigation continues. Castro said he also visited the facility to check on the welfare of the approximately 1,100 people held there.
