DHS Seeks to End Asylum and Remove Liam Ramos’ Family Days After Judge Ordered Their Release
After U.S. District Judge Biery ordered the release of 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and his father from ICE custody — issuing a scathing opinion that referenced Stephen Miller’s deportation targets and criticized the Columbia Heights arrest and Metro Surge tactics — DHS filed a motion Wednesday to terminate the family’s asylum claims and accelerate their removal, with a hearing set for Friday and the family’s attorney calling the move “retaliatory.” DHS says the action is standard procedure, while Rep. Joaquin Castro and the family decry it as punitive and advocates say the judge’s opinion could serve as a template to challenge other detentions.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS filed a motion Wednesday seeking to terminate Liam Conejo Ramos’ family’s asylum claims and to accelerate/expedite their removal, according to Minnesota Public Radio and the New York Times (reported by MS NOW).
- The family’s attorney, Danielle Molliver, called the filing “retaliatory,” and a hearing on the motion is scheduled for Friday.
- DHS official Tricia McLaughlin told MS NOW the government is not expediting removal and insisted the action is “standard procedure” and not retaliatory.
- Rep. Joaquin Castro publicly accused the Trump administration of “breaking legal precedent” and said the move aims to “break this boy’s spirit and all of the Americans who are praying for him.”
- Adrian Conejo Arias told MPR the family believes the government is “doing everything possible to do us harm” and fears they will be deported.
- Judge Biery’s written opinion explicitly references Stephen Miller’s reported 3,000-deportations-per-day target as context for criticizing alleged “daily deportation quotas,” and strongly reprimands federal actions in the 5-year-old’s detention.
- Axios reports the judge’s order is already being cited by Minnesota officials and national advocates as a potential template to challenge other Metro Surge detentions, and provides a detailed account of the Columbia Heights arrest sequence, linking competing “bait” versus “abandonment” narratives to Biery’s criticism.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 06, 2026
6:13 PM
DHS reportedly seeks expedited removal of Liam Ramos and his family
New information:
- Minnesota Public Radio and the New York Times report DHS filed a motion Wednesday to terminate Liam Conejo Ramos’ family’s asylum claims and accelerate their removal.
- The family’s attorney, Danielle Molliver, calls the filing 'retaliatory' and says a hearing on the motion is scheduled for Friday.
- DHS official Tricia McLaughlin tells MS NOW the government is not expediting removal and insists the action is 'standard procedure' and not retaliatory.
- Rep. Joaquin Castro publicly accuses the Trump administration of 'breaking legal precedent' in an effort to 'break this boy’s spirit and all of the Americans who are praying for him.'
- Adrian Conejo Arias tells MPR the family believes the government is 'doing everything possible to do us harm' and fears they will be deported.
February 01, 2026
2:41 PM
Read: Judge tears into feds for 5-year-old's detention
New information:
- Axios provides additional detail on Biery’s written opinion, including his explicit references to Stephen Miller’s 3,000-deportations-per-day target as context for 'daily deportation quotas.'
- The piece emphasizes how the order is already being cited by Minnesota officials and national advocates as a potential template for challenging other Metro Surge detentions.
- Axios adds more concrete description of the Columbia Heights arrest sequence and the competing 'bait' versus 'abandonment' narratives, tying them directly to Biery’s criticism.
January 31, 2026