A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the deportation of a 5-year-old boy and his father who were arrested near Minneapolis in an operation that stirred additional outrage over the Trump administration’s deportation efforts.
The boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were arrested just north of Minneapolis last week after the father picked the boy up from school, according to school district officials. They were quickly taken to an immigration detention center outside San Antonio, where they remain.
In his order, Judge Fred Biery of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas told the federal government that it could not move the boy or his father out of his court’s jurisdiction while they challenged their detention.
The detention of the boy and his father became a flashpoint in the Twin Cities, where anger has continued to grow over the surge of federal immigration agents in the region. The image of Liam, wearing a Spider-Man backpack and a large winter hat as he was detained by federal agents, quickly became emblematic of the harsh effects of the government’s tactics in Minnesota.
Exactly what happened during the arrest remains in dispute.
Officials with the Columbia Heights Public School District, where Liam is a prekindergarten student, accused the federal government of using the boy as bait at his home to try to lure other family members out of the house. They said he was one of four students in the district who had recently been detained by the immigration authorities.
But Department of Homeland Security officials said that Mr. Conejo Arias had fled from agents, leaving Liam behind, and that Liam’s mother had “refused to accept custody” of him. They said Mr. Conejo Arias had told agents that he wanted Liam to remain with him.
According to the agency, Mr. Conejo Arias is from Ecuador and had entered the country illegally. There is no indication that he has any further criminal record.
The order from Judge Biery, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, was brief and did not delve into the details of the case.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports for The Times on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice.
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