A 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, was taken into federal custody along with his father on Tuesday, in what local officials have described as part of a broader increase in immigration enforcement in Minnesota. School officials confirmed to US media that the family has a pending asylum case and emphasized that there is no order of deportation directing their removal from the United States.
Liam Conejo Ramos Detained After Preschool Pickup
Reports say that the boy was apprehended shortly after arriving home from preschool while his father was in the driveway. According to a statement from Conejo Ramos’ school, “another adult living in the home was outside and begged the agents to let them take care of the small child, but was refused. Instead, the agent took the child out of the still-running vehicle, led him to the door, and directed him to knock – asking to be let in to see if anyone else was home – essentially using a 5-year-old as bait.”
Both the father and child remain in government custody.
DHS Responds: Liam Conejo Ramos Was “Abandoned”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pushed back against claims that Liam Conejo Ramos was targeted. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said, “ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED.”
The statement added, “on January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the US by the Biden administration. As agents approached the driver, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot – abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias.”
The DHS statement also noted, “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement.”
ICE agents in Minnesota grabbed 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in his driveway as he returned from school with his father.
Another adult who lives in the home was outside and begged to take the child, but agents refused and instead used the boy as bait to knock on doors to see if… pic.twitter.com/HbW8KfHPau
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 22, 2026
Liam Conejo Ramos’ Family Attorney: “They Did Everything Right”
At a press conference Thursday, the family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, defended the actions of Liam and his father.
“Liam Conejo Ramos and his dad did enter the United States at a port of entry to seek asylum through the CBP One app. They used the app, they made an appointment. They came to the border and presented themselves to Customs and Border Protection. They were just trying to secure safety from persecution for their family from their home country.”
Prokosch further stressed, “These are not illegal aliens. They came properly.”
Liam Conejo Ramos Arrest: A Stark Image Resonates Globally
The images of Liam echo other internationally recognized cases of children caught in immigration crises, such as Alan Kurdi and Elián González.
Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old Syrian boy, drowned in the Mediterranean in 2015 when a boat carrying his family capsized. His lifeless body washed ashore in Turkey, prompting global outrage over the Syrian refugee crisis.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
