Five-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos Released from ICE Detention

Mon Feb 02 2026 13:56:41 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have been released from immigration detention after a judge's order, with growing concerns over the treatment of immigrant families.

Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy detained with his father by ICE in Minnesota, has been released following a judge's directive. The case drew significant media attention and public outcry, highlighting the contentious debate around immigration enforcement. Upon their release, Representative Joaquin Castro accompanied them back to Minnesota. The family's detention raised allegations about immigration officers using the young boy to lure his family into a trap, which the Department of Homeland Security vehemently denied.

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have been released from immigration detention in Texas, returning to Minnesota after being held at an ICE facility. Their release followed a judge's order, a significant moment that underscores the growing concerns over the treatment of immigrant families in detention.

The two were apprehended on January 20 in a suburb of Minneapolis and subsequently taken to a facility in Dilley, Texas. Representative Joaquin Castro announced their release and personally escorted them back to Minnesota.

Public outrage was sparked by images of the young boy, seen wearing a bunny hat and carrying a Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by immigration officers. Critics condemned the operation as part of a broader crackdown on immigrant families during the Trump administration.

Allegations surfaced that federal immigration authorities used Liam as "bait" to lure his mother into a trap, a claim refuted by the Department of Homeland Security. They stated that the father fled on foot, leaving the child in a running vehicle.

As the family returned home, Castro composed a letter to Liam, expressing that he had "moved the world." He assured the boy that prayers and support had poured in from many people striving to see him returned home. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar also commented on the incident, emphasizing that children like Liam belong with family and should not face detention.