Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by US immigration officers and held at a detention facility in Texas, have returned to their home in a Minneapolis suburb, a lawmaker said on Sunday.
A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, who were detained during a Minnesota immigration raid. U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, said he picked them up from the detention facility on Saturday night and escorted them back to Minnesota the following day.
“Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack,” Castro said. “We won’t stop until all children and families are home.”
Liam y su papá salieron anoche del centro de detención de Dilley. Nunca deberían haber estado allí. Gracias a sus voces, ahora son libres. pic.twitter.com/0X37lYvTvj
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 1, 2026
The case drew national attention after a photograph circulated widely last month showing Liam wearing a blue bunny hat outside his home, with federal agents standing nearby. According to the Columbia Heights Public School District, he was one of four students detained by immigration officials in the Minneapolis suburb.
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, following their detention.
Judge Criticises Immigration Enforcement Practices
In his ruling on Saturday, US District Judge Fred Biery sharply criticised the circumstances surrounding the detention. According to a report by Reuters, he wrote that the case had its genesis in “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Biery, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, cited the US Constitution’s requirement that an arrest warrant must be based on a judge’s finding of probable cause. He also questioned the use of administrative warrants issued internally by immigration officials, describing the practice as “the fox guarding the henhouse.”
Calls For Reform After Minnesota Operations
Democratic lawmakers have renewed calls for immigration enforcement reforms following large-scale operations in Minnesota and other states. These demands intensified after two deadly shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Proposed reforms include mandatory use of body cameras, an end to roving patrols, and halting the use of face masks by federal immigration officers.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security remains stalled as Republicans and Democrats continue negotiations over a DHS bill. President Donald Trump addressed the issue briefly on Sunday while speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. “We’ll be talking about that in the near future,” Trump said.
Republican Mayors Signal Support For Changes
Some Republican local leaders have also indicated support for changes in immigration enforcement. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said reforms may be necessary to balance federal action with community trust.
“We’re generally encouraged that the administration seems to be exploring that pivot,” Holt said during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
Holt added that mayors are “caught in a little bit of an impossible situation” when federal immigration enforcement operates within cities, warning that events like those in Minneapolis could undermine long-standing trust between residents and authorities.
Holt’s comments came a day after Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to refrain from engaging with protesters unless federal property is threatened or local officials request assistance.
