Federal Judge Fred Biery Orders ICE to Release 5-Year-Old Liam Ramos and Father

Judge orders family released

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered the immediate release of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from ICE custody, directing that they be freed as soon as practicable and no later than Feb. 3.

In a sharply worded opinion, the judge reproduced a now-viral photo of the child, invoked the Declaration of Independence and Bible verses, and condemned what he described as an ill-conceived and incompetently implemented pursuit of daily deportation quotas that risk traumatizing children.

The order also raised constitutional concerns about the use of administrative warrants and the absence of independent probable-cause review, and it barred immediate removal while the order remains in effect.

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Liam's photo sparks protests

The order arrived after a photo of Liam — wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man (later described in some images as Pikachu) backpack — circulated widely and galvanized protests, visits by lawmakers and coverage across the political spectrum.

Republican and Democratic elected officials, local school officials and community members reacted: some officials and the boy’s advocates described him as sick, depressed and traumatized while detained, and Rep. Joaquin Castro and Rep. Ilhan Omar publicly welcomed and assisted in the family’s return.

Dilley detention protests intensified over reported poor conditions inside the facility.

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Challenge to arrest authority

Legal arguments in the case highlighted contested use of administrative arrest authority. Judge Biery’s opinion questioned whether the executive branch’s administrative warrants met Fourth Amendment probable-cause standards and linked those constitutional concerns to the practical harms of the enforcement surge. The order, issued in the Western District of Texas, included procedural protections: it blocked immediate removal, and in some reporting required advance notice before transferring the family again and allowed bond considerations if they were detained again.

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Disputed Minnesota ICE arrests

Reporting diverges sharply over the family's immigration status and the conduct of ICE agents during the Minnesota arrests. DHS and ICE said the father entered from Ecuador and fled on foot, leaving the child in a running vehicle — a version described by agency spokespeople and quoted by multiple mainstream outlets — while the family's lawyer and advocates say the family presented themselves at a port of entry to seek asylum, had an active asylum claim, and were not criminals. Local school officials and neighbors reported that agents asked the child to knock on the family's door, an allegation DHS called an "abject lie."

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Release prompts oversight concerns

After the order, Liam and his father were released from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley and returned to Minnesota; Rep. Joaquin Castro said he escorted them home.

Their return prompted relief and renewed calls for broader oversight, with lawmakers, community leaders and advocates demanding accountability and questioning ongoing detentions of other children.

Reporting also surfaced wider concerns about conditions at Dilley, including overcrowding, limited medical care and at least two confirmed measles cases, and some outlets reported the Justice Department may appeal the ruling.

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