A US five-year-old boy and his father who were detained by ICE during President Donald Trump's immigration raids have been released.
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his dad Adrian, were held at a Texas detention centre for 10 days before being ordered to be released by a US District Judge Fred Biery on Saturday. However, the pair were still detained until Tuesday when Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, picked them up from the facility and escorted them home.
The two asylum seekers had been targeted during one of President Trump's mass deportations, where immigration officials arrested over 1,000 people, including minors. The story sparked global outrage after photos emerged of Liam being held by ICE officers with his backpack on, which were shared widely online.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied the allegations that federal immigration officers used a five-year-old boy as "bait" to catch his father, claiming instead that Adrian fled from agents and left Liam in their driveway.
US District Judge Fred Biery had previously ruled that the government's actions were "traumatizing children" and had violated their rights under the US Constitution. The judge described the pursuit of daily deportation quotas as "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented", citing the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Representatives from both parties have been quick to condemn the incident, with US Representative Ilhan Omar posting a photo on social media of herself holding Liam's Spider-Man backpack, saying "Welcome home Liam".
Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and his dad Adrian, were held at a Texas detention centre for 10 days before being ordered to be released by a US District Judge Fred Biery on Saturday. However, the pair were still detained until Tuesday when Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, picked them up from the facility and escorted them home.
The two asylum seekers had been targeted during one of President Trump's mass deportations, where immigration officials arrested over 1,000 people, including minors. The story sparked global outrage after photos emerged of Liam being held by ICE officers with his backpack on, which were shared widely online.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied the allegations that federal immigration officers used a five-year-old boy as "bait" to catch his father, claiming instead that Adrian fled from agents and left Liam in their driveway.
US District Judge Fred Biery had previously ruled that the government's actions were "traumatizing children" and had violated their rights under the US Constitution. The judge described the pursuit of daily deportation quotas as "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented", citing the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Representatives from both parties have been quick to condemn the incident, with US Representative Ilhan Omar posting a photo on social media of herself holding Liam's Spider-Man backpack, saying "Welcome home Liam".
. A backpack shouldn't be enough reason for him to get caught in the middle of all this drama... or so I thought when they said his dad just left it on the driveway lol nope not buying it 
I mean, come on, 10 days in detention for a 5-year-old and his dad? It's just outrageous. The whole thing sounds like a total mess from the start. And don't even get me started on the department trying to claim that they only used the kid as bait because his dad was fleeing - that's some wild excuse if you ask me! 
ICE needs to get its priorities straight. A 5-year-old kid getting used as bait to catch his dad? That's just wrong 
. The fact that the government said his dad was fleeing from them when he left Liam in their driveway is still suspicious 
. It's great that Rep Castro stepped up and got them out safely 
.
. And the government's whole "he ran away" excuse doesn't even make sense - what kind of parents do that? 
I mean, we're supposed to be a country of laws and all that, but sometimes it feels like we just make things up as we go along 
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This whole thing is just so messed up... Like, can't we treat humans as human beings instead of just numbers? I mean, a 5-year-old boy being used as bait for his dad's deportation is just horrific. And the fact that they were held in detention for 10 days without knowing what was happening to them or when they'd be released... it's just heartbreaking.
And kudos to US District Judge Biery for speaking up about the government's actions being "traumatizing children" - we need more people like him who are willing to stand up for what's right! 
this whole thing is wild. Like, who does ICE think they are? 
detaining a 5-yr-old kid as bait for his dad's arrest? that's straight up crazy talk. i mean, i get it, immigration laws need to be followed, but not at the expense of innocent kids like lil' Liam. 
. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for policy reforms and stricter accountability measures to protect vulnerable populations like asylum seekers 
meanwhile the gov dept says they werent using the kid as bait but come on who needs proof when you got pics of him being held by ice officers with his backpack on 
and theres this one rep Ilhan Omar posting a photo of lil Liam's spidey backpack on social media like what even is that kinda thing 
.
. I mean, can you even imagine being that tiny human and having your life turned upside down? It's wild how these mass deportations go around, always targeting families like that... not cool 
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And now that the little dude is home with his dad, I hope they both get some much-needed help and counseling to deal with this traumatic experience. We need to do better, you know? 
. The thing is, we need to keep pushing for reform and making sure our leaders are holding themselves accountable.