Archive · 2 Feb 2026
Judge Orders ICE to Release 5-Year-Old and Father
A little boy named Liam and his dad were taken by immigration officers.
The officers used Liam to knock on his own door to see if anyone else was inside.
A judge said they should be let go right away.
The judge was very upset about how the arrests were done and said it was not humane.
The boy's school and community are supporting him and his family.
The family's lawyer says they came to the US legally to seek asylum, but the immigration officers say the dad is not supposed to be in the country.
ICE agents arrested 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, on January 20 in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
Agents used Liam to knock on his own door to check if anyone else was inside the house.
US District Judge Fred Biery ordered their release from a detention center in Texas by 3 February, criticizing the arrests as deeply troubling and inhumane.
The family's lawyer stated they entered the US legally in 2024 from Ecuador to seek asylum and had been following immigration procedures.
The community and school officials expressed support for the family, with the school superintendent describing the incident as using the child as bait.
- Who
- Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old preschooler, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias
- What
- ICE agents arrested them, and a judge ordered their release
- When
- January 20
- Where
- Columbia Heights, Minnesota
- Why
- ICE claims the operation was aimed at the father, described as an 'illegal alien', while the family's lawyer states they entered the US legally to seek asylum.
ICE's Perspective
Family's Perspective
Reason for Arrest
ICE's Perspective
ICE claims the operation was aimed at the father, described as an 'illegal alien', and denies targeting the child.
Family's Perspective
The family's lawyer states that both father and son entered the US legally in 2024 from Ecuador to seek asylum and had been following immigration procedures.
Child's Involvement
ICE's Perspective
ICE claims the father had 'abandoned' his son when officers approached.
Family's Perspective
School officials and the judge criticized the use of the child as 'bait' to knock on his own door.
- Names Involved
- Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias
- Location
- Columbia Heights, Minnesota
- Date of Arrest
- January 20
- School
- Valley View Elementary
- Superintendent
- Zena Stenvik
- Agency Involved
- ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
- Judge
- US District Judge Fred Biery
- Detention Center
- San Antonio, Texas
- Release Deadline
- 3 February
Sources
Liam Conejo Ramos Detention Case: Judge Orders ICE to Release 5-Year-Old and Father Immediately
Judge orders release of 5-year-old, father detained in Minnesota ICE raid
Minneapolis shooting: US judge orders release of five-year-old detained by immigration officials
Judge Orders Release of 5-Year-Old Detained in Minnesota ICE Raid
US Judge Orders Release Of 5-Year-Old Boy, Father Detained In Minnesota Raid
5-Year-Old Arrested By ICE Agents In Minnesota Released After Judge's Order
Heartwarming Pics Show 5-Year-Old Liam Ramos At Minnesota Home After Being Released From Detention
Federal judge orders release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by ICE in Texas
US judge orders release of five-year-old boy, father detained by ICE in Minneapolis
5-year-old Ramos, his father return to Minneapolis after being released from Texas detention centre
