Erika Ramos says she watched from a window as ICE agents removed her 5-year-old son, Liam, and his father after a Jan. 20 preschool run in Columbia Heights, Minn. Ramos alleges officers used her child to draw her outside; DHS says officers offered custody to the mother and an officer stayed with the child when the father allegedly fled. Both father and son were transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Liam’s removal while the court reviews the case.
‘Mommy, Open the Door’: Mother Says ICE Took Her 5-Year-Old During Minnesota Arrest; Judge Blocks Removal
Liam Conejo Ramos is escorted by a federal agent into a vehicle in Minnesota on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (Courtesy Columbia Heights Public Schools)(Courtesy Columbia Heights Public Schools)
Erika Ramos says she watched in terror from a window as immigration agents removed her 5-year-old son, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, after they returned from preschool on Jan. 20 in Columbia Heights, Minn.
What Happened
According to school officials, agents confronted the pair after they left preschool. Ramos told Telemundo she saw officers take Liam from the family car and bring him to the front door, where the child repeatedly pleaded, "Mommy, open the door." She said she feared leaving the house because officers might arrest her and leave her other child alone; she is also pregnant.
“They knocked and knocked, and my son Liam kept saying, ‘Mommy, open the door.’ I was terrified,” Ramos said, weeping. “They used my boy as bait.”
Official Account and Dispute
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said agents moved in after Conejo Arias allegedly fled from officers who approached the vehicle, leaving the child behind. DHS said, “For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.” The agency also said officers repeatedly offered for the mother to accept custody of Liam and reassured her she would not be detained if she did so; DHS said she refused.
Ramos strongly denied DHS’s account, saying her husband never abandoned their son. “At no point did my husband do what they’re saying,” she said.
Transfer, Health Concerns and Legal Action
Both Liam and his father were transferred from Minnesota to Texas and are listed in court filings as being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Ramos says her husband told her Liam developed a fever, stomach pain and diarrhea and that they were not receiving needed medications. DHS responded that a pediatrician examined Liam and found no medical concerns and that ICE policy requires medical screening and access to care for people in custody.
On Tuesday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the administration from removing Liam from the country or transferring him outside the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas while the matter is litigated. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas visited Liam and his father in detention and publicly called for their release.
Context
Ramos told reporters that she and her husband have no criminal records and that they entered the United States through the CBP One program during the Biden administration. The case has drawn criticism from immigration advocates who accuse ICE of using children as leverage; ICE maintains it followed procedure and attempted to secure custody with the mother.
Current Status: Liam remains in federal immigration custody under a court order that temporarily blocks his removal while the case moves forward.
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