Federal Judge Blocks Deportation and Transfer of 5‑Year‑Old Liam Ramos and Father After Minnesota ICE Arrest
A federal judge has temporarily barred ICE from deporting or transferring 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, ordering they remain in the Western District of Texas while litigation proceeds; the pair are being held at the Dilley family detention center and have a pending immigration court (asylum) case docketed Dec. 17, 2024. The Minnesota arrest that led to their transfer has prompted competing accounts — Columbia Heights school officials and the family allege agents used the boy as “bait” to lure others, while DHS says the father fled and “abandoned” the child — fueling broader scrutiny of ICE’s tactics.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a temporary order barring ICE from deporting or transferring 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, out of the Western District of Texas while litigation is pending; both are being held together at the Dilley family detention center in Texas.
- Both Liam and his father have pending immigration/asylum cases docketed Dec. 17, 2024 in immigration court at Dilley, meaning they have no final removal orders and, according to reporting, cannot be legally deported while those cases remain pending.
- DHS and ICE say Conejo Arias fled an arrest attempt in Minneapolis and 'abandoned' the child, that officers cared for the boy and attempted to get the mother or a designated caregiver to accept custody (which DHS says was refused), and DHS released a photo and on‑record statements defending agents' actions (including from Tricia McLaughlin, ICE ERO executive staff and Border Patrol leadership).
- Columbia Heights school officials, neighbors and the family’s attorney sharply dispute DHS’s account, alleging agents used 5‑year‑old Liam as 'bait' (reportedly telling him to knock on the door to draw others out), and say adults on scene offered to take custody but were refused; the family’s lawyer says the father has complied with his asylum case and appears to have no criminal record.
- There is a dispute over how the family entered the U.S.: the family’s attorney says they used the CBP One app to enter legally in 2024, while DHS says it has no CBP One record and that Conejo Arias entered illegally in December 2024 and declined a previously offered 'voluntary return.'
- Reporting says ICE had been exploring deportation despite the pending cases, prompting large local protests in the Twin Cities and a detainee protest at the Dilley facility; detainees and advocates alleged poor conditions (including reports of tainted food, illness and limited medical access), and a December ICE report cited in litigation said hundreds of children have been held at Dilley beyond court‑mandated time limits.
- National coverage has heightened scrutiny of ICE practices amid a recent enforcement surge in Minnesota, with DHS framing the action as part of 'border control operations' and political figures (including Vice President J.D. Vance) publicly defending the policy of detaining parents and children together.
📰 Source Timeline (16)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
6:27 PM
Federal judge blocks ICE from deporting Minnesota man and 5-year-old son
New information:
- Confirms ICE’s public narrative that the father allegedly fled on foot, 'abandoning' the child in a vehicle during the arrest.
- Quotes DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating that officers assured the mother she would not be detained and that she 'refused to accept custody of the child.'
- Notes a local pastor’s account to CNN that neighbors advised the mother not to go outside when ICE brought the child to the door.
- Reiterates DHS statement that the father entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024 and was released by the prior administration, while the family’s attorney says he had a pending asylum claim.
January 27, 2026
10:38 PM
Federal judge blocks deportation of 5-year-old boy and father taken in Minnesota immigration operation
New information:
- Confirms that Liam Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, are being held together at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.
- Details DHS’s narrative that the father fled an ICE arrest attempt in Minneapolis and 'abandoned' the child, while officers stayed with the boy and later honored the father’s wishes to keep them together in detention.
- States that DHS says the child’s mother refused multiple requests to take custody of her son at the scene, a key factual point DHS is using to rebut claims that ICE 'kidnapped' or used the boy as bait.
- Notes DHS’s claim that Conejo Arias entered illegally in December 2024, was released by the prior administration, had a pending asylum claim, and was offered voluntary return with no immigration consequences but declined.
9:14 PM
Judge blocks ICE from deporting or transferring 5-year-old and his father
New information:
- U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued an order temporarily barring ICE from deporting 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father or transferring them out of the Western District of Texas.
- The order applies while litigation is pending and remains in force 'until further order from this Court.'
- The article confirms they are currently held together in the Dilley family detention center in Texas and that ICE had been exploring deportation despite their still‑pending immigration court cases.
- The piece reiterates competing narratives: ICE claims the father 'abandoned' Liam while fleeing arrest; the family’s pastor and attorney say agents tried to use the boy to lure his mother out and that the father appears to have no criminal record.
January 25, 2026
12:45 AM
Immigrant families protest at Texas facility housing 5-year-old boy, father detained in Minnesota
New information:
- Dozens of immigrant families inside the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley staged a protest on January 24, 2026, chanting for freedom and holding signs such as “Libertad para los niños” in response to the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father.
- Detainee Maria Alejandra Montoya Sanchez, held with her 9-year-old daughter since October, told AP that families organized the protest themselves out of frustration with long detention and alleged conditions including food with worms, constant illness, and poor medical access.
- Immigration attorney Eric Lee said guards abruptly cleared the visitor waiting room during the protest and later heard from clients that families risked retaliation to demonstrate against "abysmal" conditions.
- The article notes that, per a December ICE report in an ongoing federal lawsuit, hundreds of children have been held at Dilley beyond a court-mandated time limit.
January 24, 2026
1:57 AM
What Trump officials and immigration lawyers say about ICE detaining a 5-year-old
New information:
- ABC piece lays out dueling detailed narratives: neighbors and school officials say agents told 5‑year‑old Liam to knock on his own door to draw out his mother, while DHS calls that an 'abject lie' and says the father fled and abandoned the boy in a running car.
- DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin now explicitly claims officers tried extensively to get the mother to take custody, assured her she would not be arrested, and that they 'abided by the father’s wishes' to keep Liam with him.
- The story confirms, via an online court summary, that Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias has a pending asylum case filed Dec. 17, 2024 in the immigration court located at the Dilley family detention center, explaining how he can be both an illegal entrant and a lawful asylum applicant.
- Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino publicly denounces what he calls a 'false media narrative' about using the child as bait, marking a new on‑camera defense by an enforcement leader.
- Columbia Heights superintendent Zena Stenvik and school board chair Mary Granlund add details that adults on scene — including a neighbor with paperwork authorizing her to care for Liam and Granlund herself — offered to take custody but say agents refused.
January 23, 2026
11:30 PM
5-year-old taken into ICE custody cannot be legally deported amid active immigration case
New information:
- CBS reports that the 5‑year‑old taken into ICE custody in Minnesota 'cannot be legally deported' because he is in the middle of an active immigration case.
- The segment underscores a mass response in the Twin Cities: hundreds of Minnesota business owners went on strike Friday over the ongoing ICE crackdown.
- CBS relays that federal immigration officials insist there is 'more to the story' than the school district’s allegation that the boy was used as bait to arrest his father, framing a contested narrative.
10:49 PM
5-year-old boy detained by ICE in Minnesota now being held in Texas detention center
New information:
- CBS confirms the 5-year-old boy taken by ICE in Minnesota is now being held in a Texas immigration detention center.
- The segment emphasizes that DHS and the Minnesota school district have conflicting accounts about how and why the child was taken into custody.
- CBS national correspondent Lana Zak frames the case as part of broader scrutiny of ICE practices under the Minnesota surge, highlighting the child’s continued detention status.
10:25 PM
DHS releases image of illegal immigrant accused of abandoning his 5-year-old son while fleeing ICE
New information:
- DHS released a photograph of Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, identifying him as an Ecuadorian national in the U.S. illegally who was released by the prior administration and is now detained with his 5‑year‑old son in Texas.
- DHS says it has no record of Conejo Arias or his family entering via the CBP One app, contradicting a claim previously attributed to the family’s attorney.
- DHS told Fox that Conejo Arias had previously been offered 'voluntary return' (VR) with no immigration consequences and declined.
- DHS and ICE leadership now assert that Conejo Arias 'abandoned' his son by running as agents approached, and that when officers brought the child to the family residence, people inside refused to open the door and take him back; they also claim Liam’s mother refused to accept custody.
- ICE ERO Executive Assistant Director Marcos Charles and DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin gave new on‑record quotes defending agents, describing them taking the child to a drive‑thru to feed him, and emphasizing that 'my officers did that, not his father.'
9:56 PM
5-year-old taken into ICE custody has immigration case, preventing deportation
New information:
- DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review records show both Liam Adrian Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, have immigration court cases listed as pending with no deportation orders.
- Their family immigration case was docketed Dec. 17, 2024, meaning an immigration judge must still adjudicate their claims before any deportation attempt.
- CBS confirms via ICE’s detainee‑tracking system that both are now confined at the Dilley family detention center in Texas.
- Family’s lawyer says they entered the U.S. in 2024 through an official border crossing using the CBP One app under the prior administration; DHS now denies having any CBP One record.
- Article notes Trump administration shut down CBP One on taking office, converted it to the CBP Home self‑deportation app, and revoked protections previously given to CBP One entrants, targeting some for arrest at immigration‑court appointments.
- DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin reiterates the claim that the father 'committed a federal crime by evading arrest' and 'abandoned' the child, while acknowledging immigrants with pending cases can be detained but not yet deported.
7:00 PM
Latest news on 5-year-old Liam Ramos' ICE detention in Minnesota
New information:
- CBS reports that 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos is now being held at an ICE detention facility in Texas, not in Minnesota.
- The segment frames his status as an ongoing case, indicating that his transfer and detention are current, not hypothetical or pending.
3:29 PM
School officials say 5-year-old was ICE "bait." DHS says he was abandoned.
New information:
- DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin explicitly denies that ICE 'targeted a child,' says the father fled agents and 'abandoned' the 5‑year‑old, and characterizes the father as an illegal immigrant from Ecuador.
- McLaughlin claims officers made multiple attempts to get the 'alleged mother' inside the house to take custody, assuring her she would not be arrested, and that she refused; she says the father then told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.
- Columbia Heights school officials say three other students have recently been taken by federal agents, including a 17‑year‑old allegedly pulled from his car on the way to school and a 10‑year‑old seized with her mother two weeks earlier; both that child and her parents, along with Liam and his father, are now in a Texas detention center.
- Liam’s teacher, Ella Sullivan, publicly describes him as 'kind and loving' and says his classmates miss him, while the family’s lawyer, Marc Prokosch, says they have complied with every step in their asylum case and calls the arrests 'cruelty.'
- The Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis confirms it contacted ICE as soon as it learned of Liam’s detention and says it is monitoring the child’s situation to safeguard his safety and well‑being.
2:52 PM
ICE detains 5-year-old boy in Minnesota and family lawyer says he was used as bait
New information:
- CBS segment foregrounds that multiple witnesses are directly contradicting the Trump administration’s description of what happened during the driveway detention.
- The piece reiterates the family lawyer’s allegation that the 5‑year‑old was effectively used as 'bait' to lure others, underscoring that this is not just a legal claim but now a focal point of national TV coverage.
- The administration’s account and the witnesses’ version are presented side by side, sharpening the evidentiary dispute over whether agents targeted a child or only detained him after the father allegedly fled.
2:12 PM
ICE agents detain father and 5-year-old son allegedly using boy as "bait," family lawyer says
New information:
- Confirms on‑camera that the family’s lawyer and school officials believe agents were trying to use the 5‑year‑old as 'bait' to lure additional family members from the home.
- Frames the detention explicitly as part of broader 'border control operations' continuing in Minnesota under the current ICE surge.
- Provides national TV amplification of the incident, likely increasing political and public pressure on DHS over its tactics with children in Minnesota.
12:02 PM
ICE takes 5-year-old, dad after using boy as "bait," school district says
New information:
- Identifies the 5‑year‑old as Liam Ramos, a Columbia Heights preschool student, and says ICE took him with his father in their driveway after school.
- Columbia Heights superintendent Zena Stenvik alleges ICE used Liam as 'bait' to knock on the door so agents could see who else was inside, and questions why a 5‑year‑old was detained at all.
- DHS publicly claims the boy was 'abandoned' when his father fled, while the family’s attorney and the district flatly deny this and say the father has no apparent criminal record and entered legally with an active asylum case.
- CBS adds that two weeks earlier ICE detained a 10‑year‑old Columbia Heights fourth‑grader and her mother en route to school; both that family and Liam and his father are now held in Texas family‑detention centers.
- The Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis confirms it contacted ICE about Liam’s detention and says it is monitoring his situation, and the district is urging constituents to contact members of Congress and has retained an immigration lawyer to try to bring the children back.
10:30 AM
ICE's detention of 5-year-old child puts new focus on Trump team's tactics
New information:
- Axios reports federal officials’ detailed narrative that the boy was detained only after his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, allegedly fled during an arrest attempt, with DHS insisting 'ICE did not target a child.'
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin acknowledges parents in custody are asked whether they want children removed with them or placed with a designated safe person and says this is 'consistent with past administrations' immigration enforcement.'
- Axios adds that Arias is an Ecuadorian asylum seeker with an active case and no known final removal order, and notes that asylum‑seekers making 'affirmative' claims are not typically detained.
- The piece quantifies current family detention at South Texas centers: Dilley holding an average of about 700 people with roughly 20‑day stays, and Karnes around 1,100 people with similar average stays, while highlighting that ICE data do not disclose how many of these are children.
- Vice President J.D. Vance publicly defends detaining parents and children together, arguing that exempting parents from arrest because they have kids would create blanket immunity from law enforcement.
January 22, 2026