U.S. District Judge Fred Biery has issued a temporary order blocking ICE from deporting or transferring five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father while litigation proceeds. The pair were detained Jan. 20 in the Minneapolis area and are held at the Dilley family detention center in Texas. DHS says the father is an Ecuadorian in the U.S. unlawfully and attempted to evade arrest; the family's attorney says he appears to have no criminal record. ICE says officers cared for Liam and tried to reunite him with relatives, while neighbors say they prevented the mother from being drawn out of her home.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks ICE From Deporting 5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos and His Father
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after arriving home from preschool no Jan. 20, 2026, in a Minneapolis suburb. / Credit: Ali Daniels / AP(Ali Daniels / AP)
A federal judge has temporarily barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from deporting five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father or moving them out of the Texas region where they are currently detained.
Court Order Prevents Deportation and Transfer
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued an order prohibiting any attempt to deport the child and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, "until further order from this Court." The order also stops ICE from transferring the pair out of the Western District of Texas "during the pendency of this litigation and until further Order of this Court."
How They Were Detained
Liam and his father were taken into ICE custody on Jan. 20 in the Minneapolis area during a large enforcement operation. Images and video from the operation — notably a widely circulated photo of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat and carrying a school backpack — drew national attention and public outcry.
Where They Are Held
The two are being held at the Dilley family residential center in Texas, a facility that houses immigrant families with children who face allegations of federal immigration violations. CBS News reported that the government could not immediately deport them because both have pending immigration court cases that have not been resolved.
Official Statements and Disputes
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said Adrian Conejo Ramos is an Ecuadorian national present in the United States unlawfully and accused him of attempting to evade arrest. Family attorneys counter that he appears to have no criminal record; DHS has not publicly disputed that detail.
Marcos Charles, head of ICE's deportation branch, said officers targeted the father — not the child — and described Liam as having been left in a vehicle when his father fled on foot. Charles said an officer remained with Liam, that officers "cared for" him and later took him to a drive-through restaurant, and that officers tried to reunite the child with relatives at the scene.
Community members and family advocates offered a different account: Sergio Amezcua, a pastor who said he spoke with Liam's mother, told CNN she was "terrified" and said neighbors intervened to prevent agents from using the child to draw her out of her home.
Next Steps
The judge's temporary order will remain in place while litigation continues. The case underscores continuing legal and public scrutiny of ICE enforcement tactics, family detention practices, and how federal authorities handle children encountered during immigration operations.
Help us improve.
