Migrant Father Denies Abandoning Son During ICE Raid, Sparks Outrage

Five-Year-Old Boy and Father Released After Detention Sparks Outcry

A five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, have been released from immigration detention in Texas following a judge’s order and widespread criticism of their detention. The pair were initially detained on January 20, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, sparking protests and raising questions about ICE’s tactics.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the release on Saturday, February 1, 2026, with a requirement for their release by February 3, 2026. In his ruling, Judge Biery included a photograph of Ramos wearing a blue bunny-shaped hat and a Spider-Man backpack, and condemned the detention as stemming from “a perfidious lust for unbridled power.” He described the case as originating from “the ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatising children.”

The detention began when ICE agents apprehended Ramos and his father as they returned home. School officials in Columbia Heights reported that the agents took the child from his family’s driveway and transported them to a detention center in San Antonio, Texas. Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, witnessed the arrest, noting the father’s car was still running when they were taken into custody.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the operation, stating that Adrian Conejo Arias fled from agents, “abandoning” his son. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin asserted that Arias was an “illegal alien” and that ICE did not target the child. However, Arias disputed this account, telling ABC News that he loves his son and would never abandon him. He also claimed his son was denied medication while in federal custody.

According to school officials and neighbors, ICE agents allegedly used the five-year-old as “bait,” instructing him to knock on his front door to see if anyone else was home. DHS disputed this claim. Marcos Charles, an ICE official, stated that an agent remained with the child while others arrested his father.

Arias entered the United States illegally from Ecuador in December 2024 and has a pending asylum request, according to the government. His lawyer maintains that his pending asylum application allows him to remain in the U.S. While most asylum seekers are released into the U.S. While their cases are processed, Ecuadorian applicants have a relatively low success rate in immigration court, with asylum granted in only 12.5% of cases decided through September 2025.

The case drew national attention, with images of the young boy in his distinctive hat circulating widely. The detention occurred amidst a series of ICE raids ordered by President Donald Trump, which have been met with daily protests, including incidents where federal agents have fatally shot two U.S. Citizens. President Trump has tasked his top border advisor, Tom Homan, with overseeing the operations, and Homan has called for cooperation from local and state officials.

Following Judge Biery’s order, Liam and his father returned to Minnesota on Sunday, February 1, 2026, according to Texas legislator Joaquin Castro. The judge, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, also wrote that deportations should be conducted in a more orderly and humane manner than currently practiced.