A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Adrias and his son, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who were detained during a Minneapolis immigration raid earlier this month.
A viral image of Ramos, sporting a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by federal agents on January 20, sparked backlash both within Minneapolis and across the country. Ramos and his father, both Ecuadorian citizens, were then taken to a Texas detention center.
What did the judge say?
The order said Ramos and his father must be released from federal custody by Tuesday.
“The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportations quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children,” US District Judge Fred Biery said in his ruling. Biery, the chief judge of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, was appointed by Democratic former-President Bill Clinton.
Stephen Miller, a top adviser to US President Donald Trump and the architect of his hardline immigration policy, told Fox News last year that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a daily quota to arrest 3,000 undocumented migrants a day.
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Biery also cited the Bible in his order and included a photo of Ramos: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
The federal government has claimed that Arias and Ramos entered the US illegally. However, the lawyer representing Arias and Ramos, Marc Prokosch, told Reuters that they had entered the country legally to apply for asylum.
The US Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for ICE, has not yet commented on Biery’s order.
US Vice President JD Vance had earlier defended the arrest, saying “just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean that you get complete immunity from law enforcement.”
Ramos attends Valley View Elementary school in the Columbia Heights Public Schools district, where he is enrolled in the “PreK 4” program. Columbia Heights had said three other students in the district had been detained by ICE.
Protesters decried Ramos’ case; Texas congressional Democrats visited detention center
Protesters in Minneapolis have called for the end of ICE operations in the city and raised the alarm about Ramos’ case.
Protesters railed against Ramos’ detention during a protests calling for an end to the presence of ICE in Minneapolis Image: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images
There have also been rallies in front of the Texas detention center where the boy and his father are being held.
Protesters in Texas expressed anger at the detention center where Ramos is being held Image: Eric Gay/AP Photo/picture alliance
Texas Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett and Greg Casar met with Ramos and his father this week at Dilley Detention Center as they pushed for the immediate release of the pair. Castro had told US media that Ramos was getting “depressed” in custody.
In his latest statement after Judge Biery ordered the release of Ramos and Arias, Castro said he “reached out to Liam’s mom and lawyers to let them know I will continue to do everything I can to make sure he is safe.”
Jasmine Crockett posted a screenshot of Judge Biery’s order.
“Today is a great day, but please know, there are so many other children whose pics didn’t go viral languishing at Dilley, unconstitutionally,” Crockett said on X.
Wider legal battle over Minnesota raids continues
Meanwhile, a wider legal and political battle over the federal immigration blitz in Minneapolis and St.Paul, dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” continues. The killings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents this month has led to calls to end the operation, with Democrats on the federal level seeking to reform or abolish ICE.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, have filed a lawsuit arguing that the federal immigration operation infringes on state sovereignty.
Judge Katherine M. Menendez declined to temporarily halt the federal immigration raids as a preliminary measure amid the legal proceedings, with US Attorney General Pam Bondi praising the decision.
“Neither sanctuary policies nor meritless litigation will stop the Trump Administration from enforcing federal law in Minnesota,” Bondi said.
However, Menendez, who was appointed by former-President Joe Biden, said the operation had a “profound and even heartbreaking” impact on Minnesotans.
“Additionally, there is evidence that ICE and CBP agents have engaged in racial profiling, excessive use of force and other harmful actions,” she said, referring also to US Customs and Border Patrol.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he was “disappointed” by Menendez’s decision.
“Today’s decision is just one step in this lawsuit, Frey said. “The City will continue to pursue the lawsuit to hold the Trump administration to account.”
Edited by: Sean Sinico
