Five-year-old boy named Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have returned to their home in a Minneapolis suburb after being detained by US immigration officers and held at a detention facility in Texas, according to a US lawmaker.
A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, who were detained during an immigration raid in Minnesota. US Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, said he picked them up from the detention centre on Saturday night and accompanied them back to Minnesota on Sunday.
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“Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack,” Castro wrote in a social media post. “We won’t stop until all children and families are home.”
The case drew national attention after a photograph showing Liam wearing a blue bunny hat outside his house while federal agents stood nearby went viral last month. The child was one of four students detained by immigration officials in a Minneapolis suburb, according to the Columbia Heights Public School District.
When they teach about this shameful time in America’s history, this picture will be front and center.
This is Liam Ramos. He’s a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota who was arrested by ICE and then used as bait to lure his family members into custody—even though they are legal asylum… pic.twitter.com/xDJwRbbBef
— Zach W. Lambert (@ZachWLambert) January 23, 2026
Liam, an Ecuadorean national, and his father had entered the United States legally as asylum applicants. They were held at a detention facility in Dilley, Texas, before the court ordered their release.
US District Judge Fred Biery criticised the government’s actions in his ruling, writing that the case stemmed from “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatising children.” He also questioned the use of administrative warrants issued by immigration officials, saying they failed to meet constitutional standards requiring judicial approval.
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The incident has intensified calls from Democratic lawmakers for reforms to immigration enforcement practices following large-scale operations in Minnesota and other states. Proposed measures include mandatory body cameras for immigration agents, an end to roving patrols and restrictions on the use of face coverings.
The issue has also complicated negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as debate continues in Congress over broader immigration enforcement reforms.