Minneapolis
An immigration judge issued a ruling on Wednesday, March 18, dismissing the asylum applications of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, his 13-year-old brother, and their parents, Adrian Conejo Arias and Erika Ramos. Danielle Molliver, one of the family’s attorneys, told Minnesota Public Radio, which was the first media outlet to report on the case.
Release Date
03/19/2026
The attorneys have asked the Board of Immigration Appeals, a branch of the Department of Justice, to refer the case back to immigration court for review of the family’s asylum application, as their detention has become a symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Mollive stated that an appeal could take months or even years, and that if the family loses, they could be deported to their country of origin, Ecuador.
Paschal Nwokocha, whose firm represents the family, stated that the government should give Liam, his older brother, and their parents, Adrián Conejo Arias and Erika Ramos, who is pregnant, the opportunity to present their asylum case. He criticized the government for trying to expedite their deportation. “Considering everything this family has suffered, the trauma, and the public reaction, it’s unbelievable that the government continues to traumatize them.”
What a lawmaker told 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos after his release by ICE: Read the full letter about how a child “touched the world.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but stated that Liam’s father entered the country illegally in December 2024. The family’s lawyers have stated that they committed no crime and entered the country legally as asylum seekers at a border crossing in Brownsville, Texas, in 2024.
Liam and his father were detained on January 20 in Columbia Heights, a suburb of Minneapolis, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a raid in the city as they were returning home from preschool. They were flown to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, where they remained for nearly two weeks before a federal judge ordered their release.
Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who has openly supported Liam and his family and picked them up from the Texas detention center on January 31, strongly criticized the judge’s decision, stating that Liam and his family “didn’t even have the opportunity to present their case before a judge.” “It’s unfair, cruel, and unacceptable,” Castro declared, adding that he and his office are in contact with the family and their representatives, who plan to appeal the decision. “We will continue to fight.”
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat representing Minnesota who met with Liam and his father upon their return to the state from Texas, called the judge’s decision “beyond cruel and indefensible.” “This decision must be overturned.”
ICE detains a 5-year-old boy and his father as they return home from preschool, then uses the boy as bait to find his relatives.
Images of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat, surrounded by ICE agents, sparked outrage over the government’s enforcement of immigration laws. The detention of Liam and Arias led to a protest at the Texas Family Detention Center and prompted a visit from Texas lawmakers, including Castro and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
Liam and his 13-year-old brother have not returned to school since their release, according to officials from their school district.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Columbia Heights Public Schools district called the announcement “heartbreaking.” Several students in the district and dozens of parents have been detained amid the immigration crackdown.
“We understand this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a positive outcome,” the school district stated. “Our thoughts are with Liam and his family, and we will continue to advocate for Liam and all children, and offer them our support.”
