Texas judge slams ICE quotas, orders release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father seized in Columbia Heights
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas ordered that 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, be released from ICE detention by Tuesday, Feb. 3, and stayed any removal or transfer while the case is pending. In a written ruling Biery blasted the government's "ill‑conceived and incompetently‑implemented" daily deportation quotas and said administrative warrants do not constitute probable cause, while the family disputes DHS’s claim the father abandoned the child and says ICE used the boy as bait during the Columbia Heights seizure.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas issued a written ruling in the case.
- Biery ordered that 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, must be released from detention by Tuesday, Feb. 3, and he stayed any removal or transfer while the case is pending.
- The ruling criticized the government’s enforcement practices, calling the "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas," said administrative warrants issued by the executive branch do not constitute probable cause, and rebuked the government for "ignorance" of the Declaration of Independence in how it treated the family’s asylum case.
- Department of Homeland Security officials say the father allegedly "abandoned" the boy and that agents tried to return him to his mother; the family and their lawyer dispute that account and allege ICE used the child as bait at the Columbia Heights front door.
- The parents’ legal team issued a public statement saying they are working to ensure a safe, timely reunion and that the family can now focus on being together after a traumatic ordeal.
- The episode involved the child being seized at a Columbia Heights front door and the family subsequently detained in Texas.
📊 Relevant Data
Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014 due to political strife, human rights abuses, and lack of economic opportunities.
Venezuela Crisis Explained — USA for UNHCR
Venezuelan immigrants in the US have an incarceration rate of 241 per 100,000, which is lower than the incarceration rate for US natives.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy annually.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
The Venezuelan immigrant population in the US grew by 318% between 2010 and 2023.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Operation Metro Surge has caused economic disruptions in Minnesota, with estimates suggesting a 10% decline in immigrant output could lead to billions in lost economic activity.
The Cost of Operation Metro Surge — North Star Policy Action
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the judge as U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas and quotes his written ruling.
- Biery ordered that Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Conejo Arias must be released from detention by Tuesday, Feb. 3 and stayed any removal or transfer while the case was pending.
- The ruling blasts the "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas" and says administrative warrants issued by the executive branch do not constitute probable cause.
- Biery explicitly rebukes the government for "ignorance" of the Declaration of Independence in the way it treated the family’s asylum case.
- The parents’ legal team issued a public statement saying they are working to ensure a safe, timely reunion and that the family can now focus on being together after a traumatic ordeal.
- The article restates DHS’s narrative that the father allegedly "abandoned" the boy and that agents tried to return him to his mother — a claim the family and their lawyer continue to dispute, framing it as ICE using the child as bait at the Columbia Heights front door.