A federal judge has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, delivering a rare rebuke of the government’s treatment of children in detention. The pair had been held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley after being arrested Jan. 20 in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and returned to their home on Sunday, over a week in ICE custody.
Images of Liam in a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack went viral after his detention, drawing national attention and sparking protests at the facility. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said continued detention was unjustified and criticized federal enforcement policies, including the use of deportation quotas that he said “traumatize children.” The ruling does not resolve the family’s ongoing immigration proceedings, nor does it erase the fact that potentially thousands of children are still in ICE custody.
Neighbors and school officials reported that Liam was pulled from a car and reportedly told to knock on his family’s front door to see if others were home — a tactic critics described as effectively using the child “as bait” to apprehend relatives. DHS officials have disputed that characterization, saying the father fled on foot and that an agent stayed with Liam for his safety.
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The family’s lawyer said the pair are asylum seekers from Ecuador with a pending application, while federal officials maintain that the father had entered the country illegally. Lawmakers and advocates have highlighted the emotional toll and conditions in family detention centers, making Liam’s case a focal point in the debate over humane enforcement of immigration laws.
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