Judge Orders Release of Young Boy Detained with Father in Texas

Tue Feb 03 2026 14:21:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent ruling has sparked reactions concerning the treatment of young immigrants. A judge ordered the release of a 5-year-old boy and his dad from a Texas detention center after public outcry over their detention.

In a significant ruling, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the release of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his father Adrian Conejo Arias from a Texas detention center. The pair was detained in Minnesota, where images of Liam in a bunny hat and Spiderman backpack drew attention to the ongoing issues of family detentions. Reports suggest that conditions in the detention center are poor, with families facing issues like inadequate food and medical care. The ruling highlights the contentious nature of immigration enforcement policies in the U.S., especially under the current administration.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A judge on Saturday ordered the U.S. to release a 5-year-old boy and his father from a Texas detention center where they were taken after being detained in a Minneapolis suburb last month.

Images of Liam Conejo Ramos, with a bunny hat and Spiderman backpack being surrounded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers, sparked even more outcry about President Donald Trump’s administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. It also led to a protest at the family detention center and a visit by two Texas Democratic members of Congress.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery criticized the process, saying it stems from the “ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”

Neighbors claimed that immigration officers used Liam as “bait” to apprehend his father, but the Department of Homeland Security called that description an “abject lie,” stating the father fled on foot after leaving the boy in a running car.

During a visit to the detention facility, Liam was noted to be tired and not eating well. Reportedly, conditions are poor, including allegations of unsanitary food, lack of clean water, and inadequate medical care.