Father and Son Released from ICE Detention Return to Minnesota
After being detained by immigration officials in a Minneapolis suburb, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, have been released from an ICE facility in Texas. The release followed a court order, according to information shared by Texas Representative Joaquin Castro.
The father and son, originally from Ecuador, were taken into custody on January 20 and transported to a detention center in Dilley, Texas. Katherine Schneider, a spokesperson for Rep. Castro, confirmed their return home. Castro personally accompanied them back to Minnesota, picking them up on a Saturday night and ensuring their safe arrival home on Sunday.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding their release were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Outrage erupted after images of young Liam, wearing a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, surrounded by immigration officers, circulated widely. The incident became a focal point for criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies in Minneapolis.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued the release order and strongly criticized the administration’s tactics. In his written order, he stated, “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.”
Controversy also surrounds the account of the arrest, with neighbors and school officials accusing immigration officers of using Liam as “bait” to get his mother to open the door. The Department of Homeland Security refuted these claims, describing them as an “abject lie” and alleging that the father fled on foot, leaving Liam in a running vehicle.
During their flight to Minnesota, Rep. Castro penned a letter to Liam, acknowledging the significant impact of his case. “Your family, school and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home,” Castro wrote. The letter, shared on social media, further stated, “Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth because of immigrants not in spite of them.”
Social media posts from Castro featured images of Liam in his blue bunny hat with a Pikachu backpack. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar welcomed Liam’s return, emphasizing on social media that he “should be in school and with family — not in detention,” and calling for ICE to cease its operations.
Additionally, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar shared a photo of herself with Liam, his father, and Rep. Castro, holding Liam’s Spider-Man backpack. “Welcome home Liam,” she captioned the image, adding two heart emojis.
