Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos has returned home to Minnesota after a judge ordered his release from ICE detention, reigniting debate over immigration enforcement and the treatment of children.
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos has returned to Minnesota after a judge ordered his release from immigration detention, ending a case that sparked nationwide outrage over the treatment of children during federal enforcement operations.
Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were freed from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas on Saturday and traveled back to Minneapolis, according to Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro.
The pair had been detained since January 20, when federal agents apprehended Conejo Arias in Minneapolis as the family returned from preschool. Supporters said the child was briefly separated from his parents during the arrest, allegations that fueled protests and drew scrutiny from elected officials.
The federal government has said Conejo Arias entered the United States illegally from Ecuador in December 2024. The family’s attorney maintains he has a pending asylum claim that allows him to remain in the country while his case is adjudicated.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not target or arrest the child, adding that Liam’s mother declined to take custody at the time and that Conejo Arias asked officers to keep his son with him. A DHS spokesperson defended the Donald Trump administration’s immigration enforcement as necessary to uphold the rule of law.
Advocates say the case highlights broader concerns about the rapid expansion of immigration detention and its impact on families. While most asylum seekers are released as their cases proceed, Ecuadorians have faced low approval rates in recent years amid rising violence at home.
On Sunday, residents gathered outside the Columbia Heights home where Liam was first detained to celebrate his return and to call attention to other children from the district who remain in custody at the same Texas facility. School officials said they hope the ruling will help secure the release of four additional students still being held.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the child “should be in school and with family — not in detention,” while Rep. Ilhan Omar posted a photo welcoming Liam home.
In a letter written during the flight back to Minnesota, Castro told the boy he had “moved the world,” adding: “Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on Earth because of immigrants, not despite them.”
AP/ABC
