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“Mommy, why don’t you come and get us?”

Judge Orders Release of 5-Year-Old Minnesota Boy and Father After 11 Days in ICE Custody.

A five-year-old Minnesota boy and his father are back with their family after nearly two weeks in federal immigration detention, following a judge’s order that sharply criticized the government’s handling of the case.

The child, Liam Conejo, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were released after Fred Biery, a U.S. district judge in Texas, intervened. In his ruling, Biery wrote that the situation appeared to stem from “the government’s ill-conceived and incompetently implemented pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even at the cost of traumatizing children.”

According to the family and their attorney, immigration officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained the father and son on January 20 outside their home in Minneapolis after Arias picked Liam up from preschool. Neighbors later described the scene as frightening, saying officers surrounded the driveway as the young boy stood nearby with a backpack and winter hat.

The Department of Homeland Security has disputed claims that the child was used to draw family members outside, calling that allegation untrue.

Father and son were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, a facility used to house migrant families. The family’s lawyer said conditions were difficult, citing concerns about food quality and access to medical care. Reports from CNN and visiting lawmakers echoed worries about limited resources inside the center.

During a visit, Joaquin Castro said the child appeared withdrawn and lethargic. “He wasn’t eating well and seemed depressed,” Castro told reporters afterward.

Liam’s mother, Erika Ramos, who is pregnant, told Minnesota Public Radio that her son repeatedly asked during phone calls, “Mommy, why don’t you come and get us?”

The family, originally from Ecuador, entered the United States in late 2024 and applied for asylum at the border using a federal appointment system. Relatives say they came seeking safety and stability. “They just wanted to build a better life,” Liam’s uncle told CNN.

With the judge’s order, the family has been reunited and is expected to continue their immigration case through the courts. For now, relatives say the focus is simple: helping a small boy return to preschool, toys, and the rhythms of childhood after an experience few families forget.