Liam Ramos' Abduction Highlights Harsh Realities of Immigration Enforcement

Advocates warn of the devastating toll Trump's mass deportation policies are taking on children and families

Published on Feb. 2, 2026

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Liam Ramos, a child seeking asylum with his family, was recently detained at the Dilley detention center in Texas, sparking outrage over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that are separating families and traumatizing children, even those following legal processes.

Why it matters

The case of Liam Ramos illustrates how the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies are impacting vulnerable families and children, even those who are legally seeking asylum. Advocates warn that the administration is systematically dismantling the system of humanitarian protections in the U.S. in ways that are difficult to document and challenge.

The details

Liam's family came to the U.S. to seek asylum and had filed their application as required. However, they were still detained at the Dilley facility, which advocates describe as prison-like, with extensive security measures and restricted movement. The administration has learned from the backlash over family separations in Trump's first term, and is now using more opaque methods like unpredictable immigration court proceedings to tear families apart without the same level of public outcry.

  • Liam Ramos and his family were recently detained at the Dilley detention center in Texas.

The players

Liam Ramos

A child seeking asylum with his family who was recently detained at the Dilley detention center in Texas.

Kristin Clarens

An immigration lawyer and advocate who has focused much of her 20-year career on unaccompanied youth and noncitizen kids, and teaches a course at the University of Virginia School of Law to help young lawyers understand the impact of the immigration system on communities.

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What they’re saying

“Following the law doesn't protect these families from this type of aggressive and egregious enforcement that fell on the shoulders of this sweet-faced child. You could see the confusion and fear in his face, but what you didn't see is the confusion on the faces of the attorneys and other legal advocates trying to navigate a system that's changing underneath our feet, a system that doesn't offer protection even for people who are following the law.”

— Kristin Clarens, Immigration lawyer and advocate (Slate)

What’s next

The judge in Liam's case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow him and his family to be released on bail.

The takeaway

The case of Liam Ramos highlights the devastating human toll of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which are traumatizing children and families even when they are following legal processes. Advocates warn that the administration is systematically dismantling the system of humanitarian protections in the U.S. in ways that are difficult to document and challenge.