A judge granted a continuance Friday in the asylum case of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, giving them more time to respond to a DHS motion, attorney Danielle Molliver said. DHS says the family is not slated for expedited removal and called its motion routine. The child and his father were detained in Dilley, Texas, last month and later released after public outcry over photos of the encounter. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who escorted them back to Minneapolis, said they have no criminal record and urged officials to allow the father's parole‑in‑place to continue.
Judge Grants Continuance in Asylum Case for 5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos, Extending Legal Timeline
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro shared this photo of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his father, Adrian, after the pair was released from a family detention center in Texas. - Office of Joaquin Castro
A judge on Friday granted a continuance in the asylum case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, giving the family additional time to prepare their legal response, family attorney Danielle Molliver told reporters after the hearing.
Molliver said the court did not set a date for the next hearing and thanked the local community for its support. “We’re grateful for the outpouring from the community and we remain committed to the family and this community,” she said.
The family's attorneys had asked the court for extra time to respond to a motion filed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“The family is not slated for expedited removal. The motion is standard procedure. There is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws,”
— DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, said the continuance provides the family more time but also extends uncertainty for the child. She stressed the family has requested privacy and said the district will continue advocating for outcomes that prioritize students’ stability and safety.
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, is detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after arriving home from preschool, January 20, in a Minneapolis suburb. - Ali Daniels/AP
“Our concern remains centered on Liam and all children who deserve stability, safety and the opportunity to be in school without fear. We will continue to advocate for outcomes that prioritize children,”
— Zena Stenvik, Superintendent
Last month the 5-year-old and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were taken from their suburban Minneapolis driveway and transferred to the family detention center in Dilley, Texas. Photographs that circulated showing a federal agent holding the boy’s Spider-Man backpack while the child stood wearing a cartoon bunny hat prompted widespread public outcry.
After more than a week at the Dilley facility, a judge ordered the father and son released. They have since returned to Minneapolis, but their immigration status remains unresolved as the asylum case proceeds.
At a Friday news conference, Rep. Joaquin Castro, the Texas Democrat who helped escort the pair back to Minnesota, emphasized that neither the father nor the child has a criminal record and urged federal authorities to allow the father’s one-year parole‑in‑place to continue.
The continuance preserves time for the family to respond to DHS filings and keeps the asylum claim active while legal and community attention continues.
Help us improve.
