A quiet moment at home: Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, takes in the warmth of familiar surroundings with his stuffed animals, while Congressman Joaquin Castro beams nearby. (Photo: Joaquin Castro/@joaquincastrotx.bsky.social)
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | February 2026
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, are back home in Minneapolis after a harrowing immigration ordeal that began on January 20, 2026, when ICE officers detained them as Liam returned from preschool in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb. Liam was only five years old, wearing his backpack and a blue hat, when he was taken into custody alongside his father.
The pair were sent to the Dilley Family Residential Center in Texas, where families live under strict schedules and supervision, with limited privacy and minimal free play for children. Even a brief stay in this highly structured environment can be stressful for young children, making their separation from home and community particularly challenging.
Following a federal judge’s order, Liam and his father were released from Dilley, and Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro personally escorted them back to Minnesota. On his Bluesky/X account, Castro shared:
“Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.”
Representative Ilhan Omar also welcomed Liam back on Bluesky/X:
“Liam is home now and we are grateful to @joaquincastrotx for traveling to Minneapolis with him and his dad. Welcome home Liam ❤️❤️.”
Now safely back in Minnesota, Liam is reconnecting with his family and the routines of daily life, including preparing to return to school. What he endured … being taken into custody at age five, held in a distant detention facility, and separated from his familiar world … is a deeply distressing experience that no child should have to face. His homecoming offers relief and a chance to heal, but there will likely be emotional and psychological scars from the fear, uncertainty, and disruption he lived through. Liam’s return underscores not just a hopeful moment for one family but a stark reminder of the profound impact that detention can have on young children and the critical importance of protecting families from such trauma in the future.
