An immigration judge has denied the asylum claim of the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old boy photographed in a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack as he was detained with his father during the immigration crackdown that shook Minneapolis earlier this year, a family lawyer said. They have been ordered deported to Ecuador.
Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were taken into custody in a Minneapolis suburb on January 20 and held for 10 days in a Texas detention center before a judge ordered their release. The family’s lawyers are appealing the ruling by Judge John Burns. We’re just gravely disappointed in the judge’s misguided decision, said attorney Danielle Molliver. We’re committed to the family, and we’ll fight the appeal, obviously, the best that we can.
However, an appeal could take years to move through the courts; Molliver mentioned they would seek a speedier process. At minimum, I would hope we have a couple of months, she added.
After their release, Liam is back in his suburban Minneapolis school, but both he and his father were badly shaken by their time in detention. They’re scared now about what could happen, Molliver said.
The arrests and national coverage unfolded during a surge of immigration enforcement across the Minneapolis area, leading to significant protests and tragic incidents involving federal officers. Neighbors and school officials have accused immigration authorities of using Liam as 'bait' to draw his mother outside during the operation, a claim the Department of Homeland Security has labeled as an 'abject lie.' Officials state that Adrian Conejo Arias entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024, while the family's attorney contends that he entered legally while requesting asylum, which should protect their right to remain in the country.
Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were taken into custody in a Minneapolis suburb on January 20 and held for 10 days in a Texas detention center before a judge ordered their release. The family’s lawyers are appealing the ruling by Judge John Burns. We’re just gravely disappointed in the judge’s misguided decision, said attorney Danielle Molliver. We’re committed to the family, and we’ll fight the appeal, obviously, the best that we can.
However, an appeal could take years to move through the courts; Molliver mentioned they would seek a speedier process. At minimum, I would hope we have a couple of months, she added.
After their release, Liam is back in his suburban Minneapolis school, but both he and his father were badly shaken by their time in detention. They’re scared now about what could happen, Molliver said.
The arrests and national coverage unfolded during a surge of immigration enforcement across the Minneapolis area, leading to significant protests and tragic incidents involving federal officers. Neighbors and school officials have accused immigration authorities of using Liam as 'bait' to draw his mother outside during the operation, a claim the Department of Homeland Security has labeled as an 'abject lie.' Officials state that Adrian Conejo Arias entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024, while the family's attorney contends that he entered legally while requesting asylum, which should protect their right to remain in the country.
