Overview
- U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the immediate release of Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, barred their transfer or removal during the process, and criticized quota-driven enforcement and the use of administrative arrest orders.
- Rep. Joaquín Castro said he picked them up from the Dilley, Texas, family detention center and escorted them back to Minnesota, and his office confirmed their arrival home.
- DHS disputes civilian accounts that agents used the child as bait, asserting the father fled and left the boy in a running car, while the family's attorney says they entered legally via CBP One and have an asylum claim pending.
- The administration is reviewing appeal options, and the judge’s ruling addressed the legality of the detention rather than the family's ultimate immigration status.
- Images of the child in custody fueled protests and political criticism, local officials reported multiple students recently detained by ICE, and the father says the detention has harmed the child’s well-being.