Judge Orders Release of Detained 5-Year-Old and Father Amid Immigration Debate

Mon Feb 02 2026 15:23:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A U.S. District Judge has mandated the release of a 5-year-old boy and his father from a Texas detention center, following public outcry over their treatment during immigration enforcement action in Minnesota.

In a ruling highlighting the impact of immigration enforcement policies, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the release of Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from detention, criticizing the government's practices that traumatize children for deportation quotas. The family was taken into custody during an operation in Minneapolis, which sparked protests and calls for better treatment of detained families. Despite assurances from the Department of Homeland Security, reports of poor conditions at detention centers continue to surface.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A judge on Saturday ordered the U.S. to release a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from a Texas detention center. This comes after the two were taken into custody during an immigration enforcement operation in a Minneapolis suburb last month.

Images of young Liam, wearing a bunny hat and a Spiderman backpack while being surrounded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, led to widespread outrage over the current administration's immigration policies. This public outcry resulted in protests at the family detention center and visits from Texas Democratic Congress members.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery criticized the government's operations, stating that their pursuit of daily deportation quotas traumatizes children. He emphasized that the case represents the adverse consequences of policies that prioritize deportation over the welfare of families.

Earlier rulings had already indicated that Liam and his father could not be removed from the U.S. for the time being. Reports from the community suggest troubling incidents during the arrest, such as federal officers allegedly using the boy as “bait” to draw out his mother, though the Department of Homeland Security has denied these claims.

During a recent visit, Congressman Joaquin Castro noted that Liam appeared frequently tired and had difficulty eating well at the detention center, which houses approximately 1,100 individuals. Many families have reported unsatisfactory conditions, including unclean food and inadequate medical services, leading to further criticism of ICE and its facilities.