A five-year-old boy who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has finally been permitted to return to his family home in Minnesota, concluding a deeply controversial case that captured international attention. Liam Ramos, whose image wearing a bright blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack while looking terrified became a viral sensation, was held last month as he arrived home from nursery school.
Release and Homecoming After Detention
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, who had been visiting Liam at the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, announced the release on social media platform X. He stated that he personally escorted Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, back to Minnesota after their release. In his post, Castro expressed relief, saying, "Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack. Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We won’t stop until all children and families are home."
Conflicting Accounts of the Arrest
The circumstances surrounding Liam's initial detention have been hotly disputed. Neighbours and school officials have alleged that federal immigration officers used the preschooler as ‘bait’ by instructing him to knock on his own door to lure his mother outside. However, the Department of Homeland Security has vehemently denied this version of events, labelling it an ‘abject lie.’ According to official statements, the father fled on foot, leaving the boy alone in a running vehicle in their driveway, which prompted the agents' intervention.
Political Reactions and Support
The case has ignited significant political debate. Senator Amy Klobuchar welcomed Liam back to Minnesota, emphasising that he ‘should be in school and with family — not in detention,’ and called for ICE to cease such actions. Conversely, Vice President JD Vance defended the agents' conduct, arguing they had no alternative but to detain the child to prevent him from freezing and to arrest his father, whom he described as an ‘illegal alien.’ Vance insisted, ‘The five-year-old was not arrested … his dad was an illegal alien and when they went to arrest his illegal alien father, the father ran.’
Details of the Detention and Journey
Liam and his father were detained by ICE agents on February 20, as captured in video footage obtained by CBS News. The video shows the boy being led away from his driveway shortly after returning from preschool, with bystanders expressing distress through screams and horn honking. Following the arrest, they were transported over 1,300 miles south to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, where they remained until their recent release.
Emotional Impact and Public Outcry
During his detention, Congressman Castro reported that Liam missed his classmates and family, repeatedly asking about his hat and backpack, which had been confiscated. In a heartfelt letter written on the plane to Minnesota, Castro told Liam he has ‘moved the world,’ noting that ‘Your family, school and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home.’ He added a message of inclusion, stating, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth because of immigrants not in spite of them.’
The case has spurred protests outside the Dilley facility and drawn widespread media coverage, highlighting ongoing tensions in US immigration policy and the treatment of minors in detention scenarios.
