In brief
Federal officials have denied allegations that they were trying to hasten the asylum claims process for the family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained with his father during a recent immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Despite concerns voiced by their attorney over potential retaliatory actions by the government, officials assert these are standard removal proceedings. Neighbors and local school officials criticized the tactics used by immigration officers, with claims that the boy was used as 'bait' during the arrest, which DHS has denied as misleading.
MINNEAPOLIS (RTWNews) — Federal authorities have categorically dismissed allegations that there has been an effort to fast-track the asylum claims process for the family of a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained with his father during a significant immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area. Images depicting Liam wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration officers have spurred public outrage regarding the government's recent actions. Danielle Molliver, the attorney representing Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, stated to the New York Times that the government appeared to be hastening the deportation proceedings. She described the situation as “extraordinary” and potentially “retaliatory.” In response, Department of Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin clarified that these are normal removal proceedings and do not reflect expedited removal. She emphasized the legitimacy of enforcing immigration laws without any intention of retaliation. Liam and his father were apprehended on January 20 in a suburb of Minneapolis and subsequently transferred to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. After a judge's order, they were released and returned to Minnesota on February 1. Local neighbors and school officials have alleged that federal immigration officers used Liam as 'bait' by instructing him to knock on the door of his home to draw out his mother, a claim that DHS labeled as an “abject lie,” asserting that the boy was left in a running vehicle while his father fled on foot. According to government statements, Adrian Conejo entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024. His attorney claimed that he has a pending asylum claim, which provides a legal basis for him to stay in the country.
