Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by immigration officers in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas, have been released following a judge’s order. They have returned to Minnesota, according to Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.
The two were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20 and were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.
Katherine Schneider, a spokesperson for the Democratic congressman, confirmed their arrival back home. Castro personally picked them up from Dilley on Saturday night and escorted them home on Sunday.
The Associated Press reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment regarding the father and son’s release but did not receive an immediate response.
Images of Liam wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by immigration officers sparked widespread outrage during the Trump administration’s crackdown in Minneapolis.
Neighbors and school officials accused federal immigration officers of using the preschooler as “bait” to draw his mother outside, a description disputed by the Department of Homeland Security which called it an “abject lie.” They stated that the father fled on foot, leaving the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.
Castro wrote a letter to Liam while they were en route to Minnesota, commending the young boy for his impact, saying he has “moved the world.” He assured Liam of the prayers and support from family, schools, and strangers who wished for his safe return home. “Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth because of immigrants, not in spite of them,” Castro emphasized.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., also welcomed Liam back, stating that he “should be in school and with family — not in detention,” and called for an end to ICE's actions against families.
