Federal Judge Orders Release of Father and Son from Texas Detention Center
A federal judge has mandated the release of a father and his 5-year-old son from a detention center in Texas, following their detention by immigration authorities in Minnesota. The order, which demands their release by Tuesday, came with strong criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Photographs of young Liam Conejo Ramos, donning a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack, surrounded by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have intensified the scrutiny of the administration’s immigration measures in Minnesota. Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were apprehended on January 20 in Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis, and subsequently transferred to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.
The case has sparked significant public reaction, including a protest at the Texas family detention center and a visit by two Democratic members of Congress from Texas. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, presiding in San Antonio, denounced the government’s actions in his ruling, remarking, “The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Previously, Judge Biery had ruled that Liam and his father could not be deported from the United States for the time being. In his latest order, he criticized the government’s actions by referencing grievances from the Declaration of Independence against King George, suggesting a parallel to the current situation.
The ruling included a photo of Liam and biblical quotes, emphasizing compassion for children. Another federal judge has also recently criticized ICE for repeatedly violating court orders related to immigration enforcement.
Stephen Miller, White House chief of staff for policy, has mentioned a daily target of 3,000 immigration arrests, which the judge referred to as a “quota.”
Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has provided a comment on the matter. The Law Firm of Jennifer Scarborough, representing Liam and his family, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, noting their focus on reuniting the family safely.
Controversy surrounds the methods used in the arrest, with allegations that immigration officers used Liam as “bait” to reach his mother. However, the Department of Homeland Security denies these claims, stating that the father left Liam in a running vehicle as he fled.
The U.S. government asserts that Arias entered the country illegally in December 2024, while his legal representatives argue that he has a pending asylum claim, allowing him to stay in the U.S.
During a recent visit to the detention center by Texas Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett, it was reported that Liam appeared fatigued and was not eating well. The facility, housing approximately 1,100 individuals, has faced criticism for its conditions, including reports of inadequate food and water, and substandard medical care.
A December report from ICE acknowledged that they had detained about 400 children for periods exceeding the recommended 20-day limit.
