A Minnesota mother is speaking out after witnessing immigration agents take her 5-year-old son and his father into custody, an incident that has drawn national attention, legal action, and renewed debate over immigration enforcement involving children.
The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was detained alongside his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, on Jan. 20 after the pair returned home from the boy’s preschool, according to officials from Columbia Heights Public Schools. A school official confirmed that agents intercepted them near their residence, and video later surfaced showing the young child being escorted into a federal vehicle.
From inside the home, Liam’s mother, Erika Ramos, watched the scene unfold through a window. In an interview with Spanish-language media, she said she felt paralyzed by fear as agents detained her family outside. She recalled hearing her son repeatedly call for her to open the door while officers knocked, a moment she described as deeply traumatic.
Ramos said she did not go outside because she feared being arrested herself, which would have left her other child alone. She is also pregnant. According to her account, officers brought Liam to the front door in an apparent attempt to persuade her to come outside.
Federal authorities dispute her version of events. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said agents approached Conejo Arias, who allegedly fled, leaving the child behind. DHS said an officer stayed with the boy to ensure his safety and that agents made repeated efforts to reunite him with his mother, who they claim declined to take custody at the time.
Ramos strongly denies the allegation that her husband abandoned their son, insisting he never left Liam alone. She also rejected claims that she refused custody, saying she acted only out of fear for her family’s safety.
Following the arrest, both father and son were transferred from Minnesota to Texas and are currently being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Ramos has expressed concern about Liam’s health, saying her husband told her the child had developed a fever, stomach pain, and diarrhea while in custody. She also claimed they were not initially given medication.
DHS has stated that a pediatrician evaluated Liam and found no medical issues, adding that medical care is routinely provided to all individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, including health screenings and access to emergency care.
Ramos said neither she nor her husband has a criminal record and that they entered the United States legally under the CBP One program introduced during the Biden administration, which was later discontinued. She has publicly appealed for the release of her husband and son, saying her only request is to have her family reunited.
On Jan. 28, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Liam from being removed from the United States or transferred outside the Western District of Texas while the case proceeds. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas visited the family at the detention center and called for their release, citing community support and concern for the child’s well-being.
The case has intensified criticism from immigration advocates, who accuse federal authorities of using children to pressure undocumented family members. ICE has defended its actions, maintaining that officers followed protocol and prioritized the child’s safety.
As the legal process continues, the situation has become a focal point in the broader national conversation about immigration enforcement, family separation, and the treatment of children in federal custody.
