A federal court has directed that a young child, aged five, and his father be freed from a detention center in Texas by Tuesday. They have been held since immigration authorities detained them in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This mandate comes with severe judicial criticism of the enforcement methods applied under the prior administration.
Visuals showing the child, Liam Conejo Ramos, identifiable by a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, encircled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, triggered widespread condemnation regarding the aggressive immigration tactics employed in Minnesota.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, seated in San Antonio and appointed by former Democratic President Bill Clinton, explicitly stated in his decision, “the case originates from a misguided and poorly executed government aim to meet daily deportation targets, even at the expense of traumatizing children.” Prior to this, Biery had ruled that Liam and his father should be exempt from removal from the United States, at least temporarily.
Liam and Adrian Conejo Arias, his father who hails from Ecuador, were apprehended on January 20 in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb. Following their detention, they were moved to a family detention facility located in Dilley, Texas.
Accounts from neighbors and school officials accused federal immigration personnel of employing the young boy as a lure by instructing him to knock on his own home’s door in order to prompt his mother to open it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refuted these claims as entirely false, asserting instead that the father fled on foot and left his son unattended in a vehicle with the engine running in their driveway.
The government contends that Arias entered the United States without authorization from Ecuador in December 2024. However, the family’s legal representation asserts that he has an active asylum application, which grants him grounds to remain within the country legally.
This episode sparked demonstrations at the Texas detention center housing families and attracted visits from two Texas-based Democratic lawmakers. In his ruling, Judge Biery also remarked on the administration’s disregard for foundational American principles, referencing the Declaration of Independence's grievances originally cited by Thomas Jefferson against British rule. Specific points mentioned include complaints about the deployment of officers to harass citizens and foment unrest domestically.
Enhancing the gravity of his judgment, Biery incorporated a photograph of Liam and cited two biblical passages: “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 “Jesus wept.”
This ruling is consistent with a trend among federal judges lately, including a reputable Minnesota judge who characterized ICE as repeatedly violating court directives amid its enforcement activities.
Stephen Miller, the White House chief of staff for policy under the previous administration, had publicly mentioned a target of 3,000 immigration arrests each day, a figure Judge Biery inferred to be part of a quota system driving enforcement actions.
Requests for comment from the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security were not returned immediately.
The legal team representing the boy’s family, the Law Firm of Jennifer Scarborough, expressed satisfaction regarding the ruling, stating that they are working diligently to reunite the family safely and promptly. They highlighted the opportunity for the family to begin healing and gaining peace following a distressing experience.
During a recent visit by Texas Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett, the boy was observed sleeping in his father’s arms, with the father reporting that Liam showed signs of fatigue and poor appetite while detained at the facility, which houses approximately 1,100 individuals, according to Castro.
Reported conditions within the detention center have been bleak since its reopening last year, with families describing issues such as contaminated food containing worms, limited access to clean water, and insufficient medical care. Additionally, a December report from ICE acknowledged that about 400 children had been held beyond the agency’s recommended maximum detention period of 20 days.