Judge Orders Release of Five-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos and Father from ICE Detention
A United States federal judge has mandated the release of a five-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre in Texas. The order follows their controversial apprehension by immigration agents in a Minneapolis suburb earlier this month, an incident that provoked widespread public outcry after images of the young child circulated online.
Controversial Arrest Sparks National Outrage
Liam Conejo Ramos was detained alongside his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, on 20 January in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. The arrest occurred as they returned from the child's preschool. Photographs showing the boy wearing a distinctive bunny hat and plaid coat quickly went viral, amplifying scrutiny of ICE's enforcement methods.
School district superintendent Zena Stenvik issued a statement alleging that during the arrest, agents used the five-year-old as bait. According to Stenvik, an agent removed Liam from a still-running vehicle, led him to the family's door, and directed him to knock to ascertain if anyone else was inside the home. Another adult present reportedly begged agents to allow them to care for the child but was refused.
The Department of Homeland Security has strongly contested these allegations. In a post on social media platform X, the agency asserted that the child was abandoned, rather than utilised as bait, though it provided no further elaboration on this claim.
Judicial Criticism and Biblical References
US District Judge Fred Biery, presiding over the case, delivered a scathing critique in his ruling on Saturday. He stated the case originated from ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, adding that this pursuit appeared to proceed even if it requires traumatizing children.
Judge Biery had previously issued an order preventing the removal of the boy and his father from the United States. In his latest ruling, which included a photograph of Liam, Biery referenced two poignant lines from the Bible: Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,' and simply, Jesus Wept.
Family's Asylum Claim and Detention Conditions
The family's legal representative informed CNN that Liam and his relatives, who are originally from Ecuador, presented themselves to border officials in Texas during December 2024 to apply for asylum. Their application for legal status within the United States remains pending and unresolved.
Texas congressional representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the father and son at the detention facility last Wednesday. Representative Castro reported that the young boy appeared fatigued and was not eating properly during their visit, highlighting concerns over the welfare of child detainees.
Superintendent Stenvik's statement further revealed that three other children from the same school district had been taken into custody by immigration agents, suggesting a broader pattern of enforcement actions affecting families with school-age children.
The judge's order stipulates that Liam Conejo Ramos and his father must be released from the Texas detention centre by Tuesday, bringing a temporary resolution to a case that has ignited a fierce debate over immigration enforcement priorities and the treatment of minors within the US immigration system.
