U.S. District Judge Fred Biery has ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas, delivering a scathing critique of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. The ruling, issued on Saturday, mandates their freedom by February 3, following their detention in Minneapolis that provoked national outrage over the treatment of a young child.
Liam and his father were apprehended on January 20 in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, where federal immigration officers allegedly used the preschooler as “bait” to coax his mother out of their home, according to local witnesses and school officials. The Department of Homeland Security has denied this account, claiming the father fled on foot and abandoned the boy in a running vehicle, but the family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, asserts they entered the U.S. from Ecuador in 2024 to seek asylum and were complying with legal procedures.
Judge Biery, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, included a photo of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack in his ruling, symbolizing the child’s vulnerability. He condemned the case as originating from “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas,” which he said demonstrated a “perfidious lust for unbridled power” devoid of human decency.
The detention occurred amidst “Operation Metro Surge,” a Trump administration initiative to ramp up immigration arrests in Minneapolis, with White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller citing a goal of 3,000 daily deportations. This quota-driven approach, the judge suggested, has led to unethical enforcement actions that traumatize families, echoing grievances from the Declaration of Independence against oppressive authority.
Conditions at the Dilley, Texas detention facility, where the family was held, have been widely criticized. Reports indicate poor living standards, including worms in food, struggles for clean water, and inadequate medical care. During a visit by Texas Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett, Liam was described as lethargic and having appetite loss, highlighting the humanitarian crisis faced by detainees.
This case is part of a broader judicial backlash against ICE’s methods. Another federal judge in Minnesota has labeled the agency a habitual violator of court orders, reflecting growing legal challenges to the administration’s border policies. The ruling in Liam’s case adds to mounting pressure for reform and accountability in immigration enforcement.
The family’s legal team is now focused on ensuring a safe reunion and addressing the psychological impact of the ordeal. Prokosch emphasized that Adrian Conejo Arias has a pending asylum claim, which should have protected him from removal, underscoring systemic flaws in the immigration process.
As the administration confronts continued scrutiny, this incident underscores the delicate balance between national security objectives and the protection of vulnerable individuals, particularly children. Judge Biery’s poignant references to biblical passages—”Let the little children come to me” and “Jesus wept”—serve as a moral indictment, potentially influencing future litigation and public discourse on immigration reform.
