5-Year-Old Minnesota Boy Falls Ill at Dilley ICE Center; Lawmaker Says He Is 'Depressed and Sad'

A 5-year-old Minnesota child, Liam Conejo Ramos, has become ill after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alongside his father and transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, earlier this month.

School officials and family express deep concern. Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, told the Huffington Post she spoke with the boy’s mother, Erika Ramos, on Jan. 27 and described the mother as “incredibly distraught.” Stenvik said Liam had a fever and that she was very worried about his condition in the facility.

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro visits Liam Conejo Ramos and his father in Dilley, TexasRep. Joaquin Castro/Instagram

Erika Ramos told Minnesota Public Radio on Jan. 26 that both her husband, Adrian Conejo Arias, and their son remained detained. She reported that Liam experienced stomach pain, vomiting, a fever and loss of appetite, and she attributed his illness in part to the quality of food at the facility.

Rep. Joaquin Castro visits and reports emotional distress. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro visited Liam and his father on Jan. 28 and documented the visit on social media. Castro said he spent about 30 minutes with the family; Liam was asleep during the encounter. Castro told news outlets the boy was not in a physical emergency at the moment, but that his father said Liam “hasn’t been himself” and has been sleeping a lot because he is “depressed and sad.”

Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was detained by ICE in Columbia Heights, Minn.Courtesy of Columbia Heights Public Schools

“I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him,” Castro wrote after the visit.

Castro also told CNN that Liam asked about a blue knitted hat and a Spider-Man backpack shown in widely circulated photos; the congressman said he believed those items were taken from the child.

Advocates report widespread illness and troubling conditions. Leecia Welch, chief legal counsel at Children’s Rights, told PEOPLE that illness has been common at the Dilley center this winter. During a recent visit she said “pretty much everyone we talked to was sick,” and recounted conversations with youth who fell ill repeatedly. Welch and other advocates described reports from families of mold and even worms in food, denial of critical medical care, instances of severe sadness and trauma among detained children, and alleged threats of family separation.

Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was detained by ICE in Columbia Heights, Minn.Courtesy of Columbia Heights Public Schools

Conflicting accounts on entry and custody. The Department of Homeland Security previously stated that Liam’s father entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024 and that agents say he initially fled during the arrest, leaving his son behind. DHS also said Liam’s mother had “refused to accept custody” at the time. The family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, disputes DHS’s account and says the father and son entered lawfully at a port of entry in Brownsville, Texas; the father later told agents he wanted Liam to remain with him.

A spokesperson for Columbia Heights Public Schools told PEOPLE that Liam is one of four students from the district who have been picked up by ICE. The district urged reunification of families and called for an end to actions that separate children from their communities.

PEOPLE and other outlets attempted to reach the Department of Homeland Security for comment; a DHS representative did not immediately respond. The family’s legal team and advocates continue to press for medical attention and the child’s release while documenting alleged conditions inside the facility.

What to watch next: Follow-up reporting may include official medical updates on Liam’s condition, responses from DHS about conditions at the Dilley facility, and any legal developments regarding the family’s custody and immigration status.