A federal judge’s scathing rebuke forced the release of a five-year-old boy from an immigration detention center, exposing a clash between aggressive enforcement tactics and constitutional protections that has reignited America’s most divisive debate.
Story Snapshot
- Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were released from ICE custody on January 31, 2026, following a federal judge’s order criticizing their detention as “ill-conceived and incompetently implemented”
- The pair were detained on January 20 in their Minnesota driveway as Liam returned from preschool, then transferred to a Texas family detention center despite having a pending asylum case and no deportation order
- Conflicting accounts emerged about the arrest: ICE claims the father fled and abandoned his son in the cold, while school officials say agents used the child as bait and ignored other available adults
- Representative Joaquin Castro personally escorted the family on their flight back to Minneapolis, highlighting the case’s political resonance amid renewed immigration enforcement
When Immigration Enforcement Meets a Kindergartner’s Backpack
The image went viral instantly. A five-year-old boy wearing a blue hat and Spider-Man backpack became the face of Operation Metro Surge, a Minneapolis-area immigration sweep targeting violators. Liam Conejo Ramos was walking home from preschool in Columbia Heights on January 20, 2026, when ICE agents detained him and his father in their driveway. Within days, the pair found themselves at the Dilley family detention center in Texas, more than a thousand miles from home, sparking outrage that would reach a federal courtroom.
The family’s situation defied the typical narrative of illegal immigration. They had entered the United States in 2024 through official ports using the Biden-era CBP One app designed for asylum processing. Their asylum case was docketed on December 17, 2024, and they faced no deportation order. Yet the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security disputed their legal entry and labeled the father an “illegal alien,” setting up a confrontation between executive enforcement priorities and judicial oversight.
Two Versions of the Same Minnesota Driveway
The dispute over what happened during the arrest reveals how polarized perspectives on immigration enforcement have become. ICE officials maintain they targeted the father for arrest, and when he fled, they had no choice but to take custody of Liam to protect him from the cold Minnesota weather. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized the agency “did NOT target or arrest a child,” insisting the mother refused to take custody when offered.
School officials and the family’s attorney tell a starkly different story. They claim ICE agents refused to release Liam to multiple available adults at the scene and dismissed the pregnant mother’s presence inside the home. According to their account, officers deliberately used the child as bait to lure residents outside. The mother’s alleged refusal, they argue, stemmed from fear of arrest, not indifference. These competing narratives remain unresolved, but they encapsulate the broader tension between enforcement necessity and humanitarian concerns.
A Federal Judge’s Constitutional Intervention
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas did not mince words. On January 27, he ordered that Liam and his father could not be deported or removed from his jurisdiction pending legal challenges. Four days later, he went further, ordering their release “as soon as practicable” and closing the case. His written opinion criticized the government’s approach as violating constitutional protections and urged officials to develop “orderly and humane policy” for such situations. The judicial rebuke carried weight precisely because it came from a federal bench evaluating enforcement practices against due process standards.
The speed of the release demonstrated the court’s priority. On Sunday morning, January 31, Liam and his father boarded a flight from San Antonio to Minneapolis. Representative Castro accompanied them personally, later describing Liam as “very depressed” and not eating well during detention. The father’s relief was palpable: “I’m happy to finally be going home.” The case closed, but the questions it raised about detaining asylum-seeking families with young children remain open, likely to resurface in future enforcement actions.
The Politics of a Five-Year-Old’s Freedom
Democratic lawmakers seized on Liam’s case as evidence of overreach. Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Greg Casar joined Castro in calling for the family’s release, staging protests outside the Dilley facility alongside Texas advocates. Castro thanked what he described as global support for Liam and other detained children, framing the case as a moral imperative transcending partisan politics. The viral images of a kindergartner in detention became a powerful symbol for critics who see the Trump administration’s renewed enforcement as indiscriminate.
ICE releases 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from custody, lawyer says – CBS News https://t.co/x4wx2wyNkW
— #empathy💙💙💙 🌈 (@bonespurstrump) February 1, 2026
From a conservative perspective rooted in common sense and rule of law, the case presents legitimate complexities. Border security and immigration enforcement are constitutional duties, and officials face genuine challenges when parents bring children into uncertain legal situations. However, the facts here undercut the administration’s defense. The family entered through official channels with documented asylum proceedings and no removal order. Detaining a five-year-old under these circumstances, then transporting him to Texas away from his pregnant mother, appears disproportionate to any enforcement objective. Judge Biery’s constitutional concerns seem well-founded, suggesting the government failed to balance enforcement authority with basic protections for vulnerable minors.
What Happens Next in Minnesota and Beyond
Liam and his father are back in Minnesota, their asylum case proceeding without the shadow of detention. The immediate crisis resolved, but the broader implications ripple outward. Family detention centers like Dilley now face intensified scrutiny, and future habeas corpus challenges may cite this case as precedent. The Ecuadorian community in Columbia Heights and school officials who witnessed the arrest will likely remain vocal about enforcement practices. For ICE, the episode raises operational questions about targeting decisions and custody protocols when young children are present.
The long-term impact may extend to policy reviews. Judge Biery’s pointed critique suggests courts will not defer automatically to executive enforcement discretion when constitutional protections are at stake. If the administration continues aggressive operations like Metro Surge without refining protocols for families with pending asylum claims and young children, more judicial interventions seem inevitable. The case also illustrates how quickly individual enforcement actions can become national flashpoints, complicating the administration’s messaging on border security. Liam’s Spider-Man backpack has become an unlikely symbol in a debate that shows no signs of resolution, only escalation.
Sources:
ICE releases 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos from custody, lawyer says – CBS News
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and father released from Dilley immigration detention center – KSAT
Detention of Liam Conejo Ramos – Wikipedia
5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and father board plane home after ICE release – ABC News