5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos Reunited with Father After ICE Detention

The pair were released from a Texas detention facility and returned to Minnesota following a judge's order.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 1:15pm

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Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who were detained by immigration officers in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas, have been released following a judge's order. They have returned to Minnesota, according to Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.

Why it matters

The case sparked outrage over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown tactics, with critics accusing federal agents of using the young boy as "bait" to detain his father. The judge overseeing the case blasted the administration's "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented" pursuit of deportation quotas, even if it requires "traumatizing children".

The details

Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy, and his father Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, were detained by immigration officers in a Minneapolis suburb on January 20th. They were then taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. Following a judge's order, the pair have now been released and have returned to Minnesota, with Rep. Joaquin Castro escorting them home.

  • On January 20, Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained by immigration officers in a Minneapolis suburb.
  • They were then taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.
  • On February 1, a judge ordered their release, and they have now returned to Minnesota.

The players

Liam Conejo Ramos

A 5-year-old boy who was detained by immigration officers along with his father.

Adrian Conejo Arias

Liam's father, who is originally from Ecuador.

Joaquin Castro

A Texas congressman who picked up Liam and his father from the detention facility in Dilley, Texas and escorted them back to Minnesota.

Fred Biery

The U.S. District Judge who ordered the release of Liam and his father.

Tricia McLaughlin

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Security who defended the agency's actions in the case.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Fred Biery, U.S. District Judge

“Your family, school and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home. 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.”

— Joaquin Castro, Texas Congressman

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security has said it will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in the country, raising concerns about potential future actions against immigrant families.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which have been criticized for traumatizing children and families. It underscores the need for more humane and compassionate approaches to immigration policy.