Rep. Joaquin Castro visited 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father at the Dilley, Texas, family detention center and escorted them home to Minnesota after a federal judge ordered their release. DHS says the operation targeted the father and alleges he entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024; the family and their attorneys dispute that claim and say both have active asylum claims. Photos of Liam in a blue bunny hat drew public outrage, and Judge Fred Biery sharply criticized the government's detention practices. Castro’s handwritten note told Liam he "has moved the world" and encouraged him to remember the many Americans who supported his return.
Rep. Joaquin Castro Escorts Detained 5-Year-Old Home — Reads Letter Saying the Boy ‘Moved the World’
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, was accompanied home to Minnesota on Feb. 1 by Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, who wrote him a letterCongressman Joaquin Castro/Facebook
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, on Jan. 20 and transported to the family detention center in Dilley, Texas. They remained there for nearly two weeks before a federal judge ordered their release on Jan. 31. Texas Representative Joaquin Castro visited the facility, met the pair, and accompanied them back to Minnesota on Feb. 1.
Liam Conejo Ramos sits on the couch with toys after his ICE release, as Rep. Joaquin Castro stands nearbyCongressman Joaquin Castro/Facebook
What Happened
Photos showing Liam in a blue bunny hat and carrying a Pikachu backpack — including an image taken during the Jan. 20 apprehension — quickly circulated on social media and sparked widespread outrage. Local reports said Liam and his father were returning from preschool when federal agents intercepted them.
Liam Conejo Ramos sits with his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, after they were released from ICE detentionCongressman Joaquin Castro/Facebook
Official Accounts and Family Response
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the operation targeted Liam’s father and that ICE did not specifically "arrest" the child. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Liam’s mother refused to take him after his father’s apprehension and asserted the father fled on foot. The family and their attorneys dispute that version of events. Adrian Conejo Arias told ABC News after their release, "I love my son too much. I would never abandon him." Liam’s mother, Erika Ramos, who is expecting a child, said she watched the scene from inside their home and maintains her husband did not flee; she said agents brought a crying Liam to their front door and implied the child was used to draw a response. DHS has denied those allegations.
The handwritten letter that Rep. Joaquin Castro left for Liam Conejo RamosCongressman Joaquin Castro/Facebook
Immigration Status and Legal Ruling
DHS has claimed Conejo Arias, a native of Ecuador, entered the United States illegally in December 2024; the family and their lawyers say both father and son entered legally that month and that each has an active asylum claim. On Jan. 31, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the immediate release of the father and son, sharply criticizing the government's deportation practices and saying they appeared driven by quotas that traumatize children.
Rep. Joaquin Castro’s Visit and Letter
Representative Joaquin Castro visited Liam and his father at the Dilley facility and later documented the trip on social media. Castro shared a photograph of a handwritten letter he left for Liam, urging the child not to judge America by his time in detention but by the millions of Americans who supported his release. Castro wrote that even as a young boy, Liam "has moved the world." Photos shared after the release show Liam wearing the blue bunny hat and a Pikachu backpack as he returned to his family in Minnesota.
“Liam —
Welcome home! I know the past two weeks have been very rough to say the least. No child should have to go through what you endured. But, as you get older and you understand these words and this time, I hope you will judge America not by your days at Dilley but by the millions of Americans whose hearts you touched. Years ago Robert F. Kennedy spoke of those in history who moved the world. Even as a young boy you have moved the world.
Your family, school, and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home. Don't let anyone tell you this isn't your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on Earth because of immigrants not in spite of them.
May God bless you, always.
Sincerely,
Joaquin”
Why It Matters
The episode raised renewed questions about ICE tactics, family detention practices, asylum processing and the treatment of children during immigration enforcement. The public reaction, judicial rebuke, and attention from elected officials highlight continuing tensions over how immigration laws are enforced and how families are affected.
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