Freedom for Liam: Judge Orders 5-Year-Old and Father Released from Detention

It is a nightmare scenario for any family: a five-year-old boy, dressed in his winter coat and cartoon bunny hat, suddenly taken from his driveway and flown 1,300 miles away to a detention cell.

For Liam Ramos, a morning in suburban Minneapolis turned into a week-long ordeal that sparked outrage far beyond his local community. While a federal judge has now stepped in to bring him home, the chaotic circumstances of his arrest raise uncomfortable questions about how easily a child can become collateral damage in the government’s pursuit of immigration quotas.

A Court-Mandated Homecoming

Just visited with Liam and his father at Dilley detention center. I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him. pic.twitter.com/9a2pCuapYd

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 28, 2026

Following more than a week in federal custody, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian, have returned to Minneapolis. Texas Representative Joaquin Castro escorted the pair from a detention facility in Dilley, Texas, confirming that Liam is now back home with his backpack and winter hat. Their release comes after US District Judge Fred Biery issued a mandate requiring the government to free the father and son as soon as possible while their immigration case moves through the court system. The family’s legal team expressed relief, noting that the focus is now on reuniting with loved ones and finding peace after the traumatic ordeal.

Judge Biery’s ruling was scathing, criticizing the government’s approach to immigration enforcement. In his opinion, he characterized the detention as part of an incompetently implemented pursuit of deportation quotas that traumatized children.

He drew parallels to the grievances found in the Declaration of Independence, admonishing what he described as a “perfidious lust for unbridled power” devoid of human decency. Biery also challenged the use of administrative warrants issued without a judge’s signature, arguing that the Constitution requires independent judicial oversight to prevent the executive branch from acting without checks and balances.

While the immediate crisis has been resolved for Liam and his father, the ruling highlighted the severity of the circumstances. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz welcomed the news but emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that it should not require a court order to remove a toddler from a prison setting. The Department of Justice has indicated it may appeal the ruling, though officials stated they generally comply with the law.

Examining the Scene of the Arrest

This is a horrific smear pushed by the media and anti-ICE activists.

The child was ABANDONDED by his father, and the alleged mother REFUSED to take custody of her own child. Our law enforcement took care of the child, got him McDonald’s and played him his favorite music to… pic.twitter.com/A6u9Wi9rfZ

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 23, 2026

The detention of Liam and his father sparked intense debate regarding the tactics used by immigration agents during the arrest in a snowy suburban Minneapolis driveway. According to local school administrators and witnesses, agents allegedly utilized the five-year-old boy as “bait” to lure his mother out of the family home. Zena Stenvik, superintendent of the local school district, stated that an agent led Liam to the front door and directed him to knock, essentially using the child to determine if anyone else was inside.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene. Mary Granlund, the school board chair at Columbia Heights Public Schools, reported seeing the boy’s mother looking from a window while his father shouted for her not to open the door, fearing she would also be detained. Granlund noted that another adult present at the scene offered to take custody of the child, contradicting the official narrative that no guardian was available. The image of an agent holding Liam’s Spider-Man backpack became a symbol of the community’s outrage over the incident.

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offered a conflicting account. In a statement, DHS alleged that Liam’s mother refused to take custody of her son despite multiple attempts by agents to have her do so. They further claimed that the father had fled as agents approached, leaving the child behind. An official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denied using the child as leverage, stating that officers did everything possible to reunite the boy with his family and even provided him with a meal at McDonald’s following the arrest.

A Family’s Quest for Stability

At the heart of this legal battle is a family attempting to build a future away from the economic instability of their home in Ecuador. According to Liam’s uncle, Luis Conejo, the decision to leave was driven by a simple desire for a “good life” and steady employment—aspirations that eventually led them to the US border.

Their journey was not an attempt to evade authorities; rather, attorney Marc Prokosch confirmed that the family presented themselves to border officers in Texas in December 2024 to formally request asylum.

Despite following these protocols, the family found themselves defined by conflicting classifications. While the Department of Homeland Security categorized Liam’s father as an “illegal alien,” his legal team contends that they entered the country lawfully by actively seeking protection. This emphasizes the fragility of the asylum process, where following the rules does not always prevent incarceration.

Furthermore, the rationale for the father’s detention remains under scrutiny. Prokosch noted that Liam’s father appears to have no criminal record in Minnesota, a stance supported by sources familiar with the investigation. Yet, federal statutes can still mandate detention for those awaiting removal proceedings, regardless of their background.

Consequently, a father with no apparent history of wrongdoing was held in custody, illustrating a harsh reality where the pursuit of safety can inadvertently lead to the loss of freedom.

A Plea for Decency in the Courtroom

It should not take a court order to get a toddler out of a prison. pic.twitter.com/SkRds6bJdr

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 31, 2026

Federal court orders are typically dry, technical documents, but the ruling securing Liam’s release was intensely personal. Judge Fred Biery did not just cite case law; he embedded the now-famous image of the five-year-old—wearing his bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack—directly into the permanent legal record. Below his signature, he referenced biblical passages regarding the sanctity of children, signaling that this case was about more than immigration statutes. It was a confrontation with the moral weight of how a government treats its most vulnerable subjects.

Biery’s writing stripped away the bureaucratic language often used to defend mass detention. He condemned a system apparently driven by “deportation quotas” rather than justice, describing the enforcement tactics as “bereft of human decency.” He argued that the current approach echoes the grievances found in the Declaration of Independence, warning that a “lust for unbridled power” threatens the core values of the nation.

The judge also dismantled the specific mechanism used to detain the family. He attacked the use of administrative warrants, which are arrest orders signed by immigration agents rather than judges, calling it a clear case of “the fox guarding the henhouse.” in his view, allowing an agency to approve its own arrests bypasses the Constitution’s demand for independent oversight. While acknowledging that Liam and his father might eventually face deportation, Biery insisted that the process must remain humane. He closed with Benjamin Franklin’s famous caution that the nation is “a republic, if you can keep it,” serving as a reminder that the rule of law exists to protect everyone, or it protects no one.

The Long Road to Healing and Reform

While Liam’s return to Minneapolis brings immediate relief, the emotional toll of his detention serves as a sobering reminder that release is only the first step toward recovery. Representative Joaquin Castro noted that the five-year-old has been sleeping excessively, eating poorly, and asking repeatedly for his mother—clear indicators that the trauma of separation lingers long after physical freedom is restored. For this family, the ordeal has shifted from a fight for liberty to a struggle for normalcy and peace.

Liam’s story is far from an isolated incident; rather, it highlights a disturbing pattern affecting the community. According to Columbia Heights Public Schools, he is the fourth student from the district to be detained by immigration agents in a span of just two weeks. This follows another recent case where a toddler was separated from her parents and sent to Texas before being returned to her mother. These frequent disruptions prompted Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to assert that “it should not take a court order to get a toddler out of a prison,” emphasizing that the current enforcement strategy is systematically impacting the youngest and most vulnerable residents.

As the family focuses on healing, community leaders and officials are calling for systemic changes to prevent future separations. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan declared that the effort cannot end with one victory, stating, “We cannot stop until Liam, and all the children ICE has detained, are back in their own beds.” The resolution of this specific case has galvanized a broader demand for an immigration policy that respects family unity. The challenge ahead lies in creating a legal framework that enforces the law without inflicting lasting psychological harm on the next generation.

Featured Image Source: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn on Instagram