Young Immigrant Boy and Father Held in Detention as Asylum Case Remains Pending, Deportation On Hold for Now.
A five-year-old immigrant boy, Liam Adrian Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis alongside with his father earlier this week. Despite being detained, the family has an active immigration case pending in court, which means they cannot be legally deported yet.
According to government records reviewed by CBS News, Liam's father is listed as having a "pending" immigration case, along with the boy. The records indicate that there are no deportation orders in either case, meaning that an immigration judge still needs to consider their claims before any deportation attempt can be made.
The family, from Ecuador, entered the US in 2024, seeking asylum under the Biden administration's CBP One program, which allowed them to request asylum through a phone app. However, after taking office, the Trump administration shut down the program and converted it into the self-deportation app known as CBP Home.
ICE officials claim that Liam's father attempted to flee and abandoned his son in the process, leaving him with ICE officers. The agency claims that he committed a federal crime by evading arrest. However, prosecutors argue that there is no evidence of this claim, and that Liam's father was simply trying to protect his child from the detention.
The incident has sparked debate about who exactly the Trump administration is targeting in its mass deportation campaign, with many questioning the agency's tactics. Despite claims by ICE officials that families held in detention receive "top-notch care" at facilities like the Dilley center, advocates for immigrants have raised concerns about the conditions at the facility, citing reports of substandard medical care and harsh treatment.
Liam and his father are currently being held at the Dilley detention center in Texas, which is a long-term holding site for families with underage children. The family's lawyer has expressed concern for their safety and well-being, stating that their primary focus is on securing Liam's release from detention.
A five-year-old immigrant boy, Liam Adrian Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Ramos, were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis alongside with his father earlier this week. Despite being detained, the family has an active immigration case pending in court, which means they cannot be legally deported yet.
According to government records reviewed by CBS News, Liam's father is listed as having a "pending" immigration case, along with the boy. The records indicate that there are no deportation orders in either case, meaning that an immigration judge still needs to consider their claims before any deportation attempt can be made.
The family, from Ecuador, entered the US in 2024, seeking asylum under the Biden administration's CBP One program, which allowed them to request asylum through a phone app. However, after taking office, the Trump administration shut down the program and converted it into the self-deportation app known as CBP Home.
ICE officials claim that Liam's father attempted to flee and abandoned his son in the process, leaving him with ICE officers. The agency claims that he committed a federal crime by evading arrest. However, prosecutors argue that there is no evidence of this claim, and that Liam's father was simply trying to protect his child from the detention.
The incident has sparked debate about who exactly the Trump administration is targeting in its mass deportation campaign, with many questioning the agency's tactics. Despite claims by ICE officials that families held in detention receive "top-notch care" at facilities like the Dilley center, advocates for immigrants have raised concerns about the conditions at the facility, citing reports of substandard medical care and harsh treatment.
Liam and his father are currently being held at the Dilley detention center in Texas, which is a long-term holding site for families with underage children. The family's lawyer has expressed concern for their safety and well-being, stating that their primary focus is on securing Liam's release from detention.
this is soooo unfair!!! how can they just pick on this innocent little kid & his dad?!?! they're just trying to protect each other, but ICE is all like "oh nope, you gotta stay in detention" 
my heart goes out to them, especially Liam who's only 5 years old 
he doesn't deserve this! the CBP One program was supposed to help people like them get asylum, not hurt them more 
I'm so sad for this family and I wish they could just be reunited already 
! A little boy being held captive with his dad 
just because of a messed up system 
it's like they're pawns in a game 
. ICE officials are being super shady 
and I don't trust them at all 
. The family deserves justice 
not some harsh treatment 
ASAP 
and this should be a priority for the authorities 
.
It's time to take responsibility and fix the problems 
rather than just deporting people left and right 
. I'm all about fairness 
and compassion 
?
. Until then, I just want to know that this little boy is being taken care of and that someone is looking out for him 