Judge Fred Biery ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-year-old son, Liam, prompting sharp Republican backlash and impeachment calls from some conservatives. The short order — which included a Bible verse and a viral photo — criticized the administration’s deportation quotas and accused it of harsh treatment of migrants. Observers also noted a dubious "February 31st" signature date, and the migrants’ lawyer said the family entered via the CBP One app and were later detained. The government complied and returned the family to Minnesota, but the legal case continues.
Federal Judge’s Weekend Order Releasing Migrant Child Sparks GOP Outcry and Impeachment Calls
Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, the father of Liam Ramos, was detained with his son in Texas after being arrested by federal immigration authorities.(Fox News)
A brief, unusually pointed weekend order from U.S. District Judge Fred Biery directing immigration authorities to release a father and his five-year-old son has ignited fierce Republican criticism and renewed calls for impeachment from some conservatives.
Biery, a Clinton appointee, wrote that Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, Liam, sought "nothing more than some modicum" of due process. The short order included a Bible verse referencing Jesus weeping and reproduced a viral photograph of the child wearing a backpack. In his writing, the judge sharply criticized aspects of administration immigration policy, accusing the government of pursuing deportation quotas that risk "traumatizing children." He also used language accusing the administration of a "perfidious lust for unbridled power."
ICE agents carrying out an operation at a private home.
Swift Political Backlash
The order drew immediate rebukes from conservative figures. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) added Biery to a short list of judges he has urged the House to consider for impeachment, quipping that the judge had effectively written, "impeach me—immediately." Andrew Arthurs, law and policy fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, called the directive "bizarre." Former Pam Bondi chief of staff Chad Mizelle said he initially thought the order was fake and said he hoped it was a joke, arguing it validated long-standing criticism of a politicized judiciary. Fox News analyst Guy Benson labelled the ruling "lawless, overwrought resistance slop," a description shared by DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin on social media.
"The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children." — Judge Fred Biery
Procedural Oddities And Case Details
Observers also flagged a technical oddity: Biery dated his signature using the nonexistent date "February 31st" in the legal document, an error that can attract scrutiny because procedural defects sometimes have outsized consequences in litigation.
A person holds an anti-ICE sign as demonstrators rally during a general strike protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 23, 2026.
According to Marc Prokosch, the attorney for the migrants, Arias and his son entered the United States at a Texas port of entry in 2024 using the CBP One app. Prokosch said the pair "did everything right" upon arrival but were later detained by immigration authorities in January and transferred from Minnesota to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. The photograph of Liam has become a rallying image for human rights advocates who argue that some enforcement measures are overzealous and inhumane.
A Politico analysis cited in coverage found that while the Trump administration achieved significant reductions in illegal border crossings, various district court judges — including some Republican appointees — have repeatedly criticized certain deportation practices as exceeding legal bounds.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) confirmed that the government complied with Biery's order and returned the family to Minnesota; the legal proceedings in the case remain ongoing.
What’s next: The case is active and may draw further procedural or appellate review given the substance of the judge’s criticisms, the procedural date error, and the high-profile political response.
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