A federal judge in Texas has ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from an ICE detention facility, ruling that their detention was unlawful and raised serious constitutional concerns. The order was issued on Saturday, January 31, 2026, and requires that the pair be released by Tuesday, February 3 at the latest.
The boy and his father were detained in mid-January outside their home in a Minneapolis suburb during a widespread immigration enforcement operation. Images of Liam wearing a blue bunny-hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by federal officers quickly spread nationwide, fueling outrage and criticism of the tactics used by immigration agents.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sharply criticized the government’s immigration enforcement strategy, describing the detention of a young child as part of an overly aggressive deportation effort that can cause “trauma” to minors. The judge also challenged the use of administrative warrants without judicial oversight, calling them constitutionally problematic.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that ICE was targeting the father, whose immigration parole had expired, and not the child. DHS disputes some claims about how the detention unfolded. Meanwhile, the family’s attorneys have said both father and son had a pending asylum claim, arguing that they should not have been held in long-term detention.
Their confinement drew an unusually high level of public and political attention, with protests outside the detention center and visits by lawmakers, including members of the U.S. Congress, who expressed concern about the conditions and treatment of the boy. Reports from advocacy groups and officials described inadequate care and emotional distress experienced by children in the facility.
Judge Biery’s order also prohibits the removal or transfer of the family during the period leading up to their release. Their attorneys say they are now preparing for the family’s safe reunion outside detention as the legal process continues.
Originally Published By: Reuters and AP News.
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