Federal judge orders release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and father from ICE detention
Court order sets deadline for release from Texas facility
A federal judge in Texas has ordered U.S. immigration authorities to release 5-year-old Minneapolis-area child Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from federal immigration custody by Tuesday. The ruling also bars officials from transferring them out of the court’s jurisdiction while litigation over their detention proceeds.
The father and son have been held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, an immigration detention facility built to house families. The facility, with capacity for up to 2,400 people, reopened in 2025 under a renewed federal contract after being idled in 2024.
Detention in Minnesota sparked national attention and conflicting accounts
Liam and his father were taken into custody in the Minneapolis area on Jan. 20, 2026, during an immigration enforcement action that quickly drew public attention after images circulated showing the child in winter clothing and carrying a backpack while surrounded by officers. The family is originally from Ecuador.
There are sharply different accounts of how the arrest unfolded. School officials and neighbors have said agents used the child to prompt someone inside the home to open the door, and that an adult known to the family offered to take custody of Liam during the operation. Federal officials have denied that the child was used to lure anyone, and have said the father attempted to evade officers and left the child alone in a running vehicle in the driveway before being detained.
Judge criticizes detention basis and emphasizes judicial oversight
In written orders issued over the past week, the judge criticized the use of administrative immigration warrants without judicial review and said the circumstances raised constitutional concerns. The court first issued a temporary order preventing deportation and transfer, then followed with an order requiring their release by a specific deadline.
The case has become a focal point in the broader debate over immigration enforcement tactics, particularly where children are present during arrests. Public demonstrations and advocacy efforts followed the family’s detention, and members of Congress traveled to the Dilley facility to visit the father and child.
Immigration status and pending proceedings
Federal authorities have said the father entered the United States in December 2024 and was in the country unlawfully. The family’s legal filings state he has a pending asylum claim and ongoing immigration proceedings, which is a key factor in the court’s orders limiting removal while the case is heard.
- Detained in Minnesota on Jan. 20, 2026; transferred to Dilley, Texas
- Temporary order issued preventing deportation and transfer
- Subsequent order directs release by Tuesday
The judge’s orders center on due-process requirements and the court’s authority to prevent removal or transfer while challenges to detention are litigated.
Immigration authorities have not publicly detailed where the father and child will be released or what reporting requirements, if any, will apply while their immigration case continues.