When news broke about Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Minneapolis, many people were shocked.
The image of Liam wearing a blue winter hat and a Spider-Man backpack while being detained struck a chord nationwide, highlighting the human cost of immigration enforcement.
Liam was apprehended last week as he returned home from school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
Now, both he and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, are held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, near San Antonio, a facility that has faced legal scrutiny for alleged civil rights abuses.
A Child Suffering in Detention
Liam’s mother, Erika Ramos, has expressed deep concern over her son’s well-being.
She described him as sick, suffering from stomach pain, vomiting, and a fever, and no longer wanting to eat.
“Liam is getting sick because the food they receive is not of good quality,” she told Minnesota Public Radio.
Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the family at the facility.
Castro recounted seeing Liam asleep in his father’s arms during the entire half-hour visit.
“His dad said he hasn’t been himself. He’s been sleeping a lot because he’s depressed and sad,” Castro shared in a video post.
The little boy has also been asking about his mother and classmates, expressing a desire to return to school.
Castro appealed directly to President Trump, saying, “Think of what it would be like for your grandkids to be behind bars.”
Political Reactions and Calls for Release
Both Castro and Crockett emphasized the troubling conditions at the detention center.
Crockett, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said many children inside the facility are not receiving an education.
Lawmakers were reportedly told that detainees without criminal records should not even be held there.
“We are supposed to be better than this,” she said.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted outside the Texas facility.
Supporters carried signs reading “Children are not criminals!” and were met with police deploying pepper balls to disperse the crowds.
Texas authorities said two people were arrested during the demonstration.
Conflicting Accounts of the Arrest
Liam’s detention sparked outrage after school officials claimed ICE agents allegedly used the boy as “bait” to lure his mother outside.
The Department of Homeland Security denied these claims, stating instead that Liam’s father fled on foot while leaving the child in a vehicle, and that an ICE officer remained with Liam for his safety.
ICE also said that Arias, who is from Ecuador, wanted his son to stay with him during detention.
The family’s attorney, Marc Prokosich, however, insists they entered the U.S. legally at a Brownsville, Texas border crossing and are now seeking asylum while following proper legal procedures.
Legal Developments and Ongoing Protests
A federal judge recently issued a temporary order preventing the Trump administration from deporting Liam and his father as the family challenges their detention in court.
Meanwhile, attorney Eric Lee, representing other families at the Dilley facility, described conditions as “absolutely abysmal,” citing contaminated food, verbal abuse, and inadequate medical care.
A Broader Pattern in Minneapolis
Liam is not alone.
At least four children from the Columbia Heights Public School District have been detained in recent weeks.
Reports include a 10-year-old girl taken with her mother while going to school and a 17-year-old apprehended in her apartment.
School officials say ICE agents have been present in neighborhoods, around schools, and even tracking buses, leaving the community shaken and fearful.
“Our hearts are shattered,” said one school official, describing the lasting emotional impact on students and families.
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