Related videos:
A federal judge in Texas ordered the release this Saturday of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrián Conejo Arias, who were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and taken to a migration center in the southern state after their arrest in Minnesota.
The judge Fred Biery ruled that father and son must be released “as soon as possible” and, in any case, before Tuesday, February 3, granting the habeas corpus request made by their lawyers, reported Telemundo Noticias.
In its ruling, it expressly prohibited "any possible or anticipated removal or transfer" of both individuals and ordered that they be released under conditions no more restrictive than those in place prior to their detention.
Liam and his father were arrested in mid-January in a suburb of Minneapolis and sent to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from home.
The images of the minor, wearing a blue hat and escorted by federal agents, went viral and sparked protests in Minnesota, amidst a growing backlash against the immigration operations of the Donald Trump administration.
In his ruling, Biery had harsh words for the federal Administration and questioned the use of state power against vulnerable individuals.
"For some, the thirst for unlimited power and the imposition of cruelty in their pursuit know no boundaries or human decency," wrote the magistrate.
The child's mother, Erika Ramos, reported in an interview with Noticias Telemundo that she witnessed the arrest from her home and that her son was crying inside the vehicle while the agents detained his father.
She stated that the officers took the minor to the door for her to open it, but she didn’t do so for fear of being arrested as well, which, she claimed, resulted in the child being taken along with his father.
The family claims that they entered the United States legally in 2024 through the CBP One program, that they have no criminal record, and that they have a pending asylum case.
School authorities in Columbia Heights supported this version and denounced that the minor was used as "bait" during the operation, an accusation that the federal government rejects.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE was not targeting the child and acted to protect him following the father's detention, whom they consider an undocumented immigrant.
Amid the controversy, Vice President JD Vance defended ICE during a visit to Minneapolis, downplaying the criticism and justifying the actions of the agents.
However, the court order nullifies any immediate transfer or deportation and requires immigration authorities to release both individuals while the case remains under review.
Recently, it was reported that in response to the increase in immigration raids in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, neighbors and community organizations were providing temporary shelter to immigrant children to prevent them from falling into state custody after their parents' arrest.
Filed under: