A temporary order issued by a U.S. federal judge has halted the potential removal of a five-year-old boy from Ecuador and his father, whose recent arrest in Minnesota has stirred controversy over immigration policies in the Trump era. Judge Fred Biery’s ruling on Monday suspended any transfer or deportation of Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, until further legal proceedings take place.
A petition for their release was submitted over the weekend as numerous immigrant families demonstrated outside the detention facility in Dilley, Texas, where the father and son are being held. A photo of the young boy, clad in winter attire and carrying a Spider-Man backpack, garnered significant attention on social media, eliciting strong responses.
Representative Joaquin Castro described the boy as a symbol of the flaws within the ICE and detention systems in a Facebook video. He announced plans to visit the father and son, along with Texas Democratic representative Jasmine Crockett, at the Dilley Detention Center on Wednesday.
Ramos and Arias were apprehended outside their residence in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, last week. According to neighbors and school officials, immigration officers allegedly used the child to lure his mother out of the house. The Department of Homeland Security refuted these claims, stating that Arias fled on foot, leaving the boy in a running vehicle.
The father’s immigration status has come under scrutiny, with officials confirming he was in the U.S. unlawfully. The family’s lawyer asserted that Arias had a pending asylum application, allowing him to remain in the country. The immigration status of the child remains uncertain, raising questions about potential deportation for the boy and his parents.