Columbia Heights, Minnesota — A federal judge has ordered an immediate halt to the potential deportation or transfer of a 5-year-old Minnesota preschooler detained alongside his father, a ruling that comes amid growing national outrage over federal immigration enforcement actions involving children.
The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was detained last week after federal agents apprehended his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, outside their home in Columbia Heights as they returned from the boy’s preschool.
Images of an agent holding Liam by his Spider-Man backpack quickly spread online, intensifying criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
On Monday, a federal judge ruled that any removal or transfer of Conejo Arias and his son must be immediately stayed, barring federal officials from moving them out of the judicial district while the case proceeds.
The court order applies until further notice and remains in effect throughout the litigation.
Liam and his father were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, a detention center used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold families.
Conejo Arias has since filed a lawsuit against Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, and other federal officials, alleging unlawful detention and violations of due process.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that Conejo Arias is an undocumented immigrant from Ecuador and said agents took Liam with them after his father requested the child remain with him.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Conejo Arias fled briefly as agents approached, “abandoning his child,” prompting an officer to remain with Liam for safety reasons.
McLaughlin also said officers attempted to return Liam to his mother, assuring her she would not be detained.
According to DHS, the mother refused to open the door. Family representatives and school officials dispute that account.
An attorney for Liam’s family said Conejo Arias committed no crimes and followed all legal requirements for seeking asylum in the United States, including attending scheduled court hearings.
Community members and school officials have raised serious concerns about how the child was treated during the operation.
Zena Stenvik, superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, said agents led Liam to the front door of his home and instructed him to knock, allegedly attempting to determine whether other adults were inside.
“That is essentially using a 5-year-old as bait,” Stenvik said. ICE has denied that characterization, insisting it has never used a child for enforcement purposes.
Mary Granlund, who witnessed the incident while driving by, said another adult in the home repeatedly offered to take custody of Liam.
She also recalled seeing the child’s mother look out the window as Conejo Arias shouted for her not to open the door.
Local pastor Sergio Amezcua, who has been assisting the family, said the mother — who is pregnant and has a teenage son — was terrified of being detained herself.
He said neighbors urged her to remain inside the home out of fear she would also be taken into custody.
DHS later stated that agents took Liam to McDonald’s, played his favorite music, and attempted to comfort him after the arrest.
Liam was a PreK-4 student at Valley View Elementary before his detention. According to Columbia Heights Public Schools, he is one of several students from the district taken into ICE custody this month.
In a similar case, a 2-year-old girl was detained in Minneapolis with her father, Elvis Tipan‑Echeverria, and flown to Texas despite a court order requiring her immediate release.
She was returned to her mother within a day, though her father remains in custody.
As legal proceedings continue, Liam Conejo Ramos’ case has become a powerful symbol in the national debate over immigration enforcement, child welfare, and the limits of federal authority when minors are involved.
