Federal Judge Biery Orders Release of Five-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos Amid Deportation Controversy
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas has ordered the immediate release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, from federal immigration custody. In a sharply worded opinion issued Saturday, Judge Biery characterized the federal court’s intervention in the matter as merely “a judicial finger in the dike” against what he described as “vast lawlessness and inhumanity” in the current administration’s mass deportation efforts.
The ruling comes after the father and son were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minnesota and subsequently transferred to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. Judge Biery’s order requires their release by Tuesday while their immigration case proceeds. The judge criticized the government’s actions, stating the detention had its genesis in an “ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas,” noting that such policies appeared to proceed “even if it requires traumatizing children.” He further referenced the Declaration of Independence and included photographs of the child in his written opinion.
Conflicting narratives surround the circumstances of the initial arrest in Minnesota. Legal representatives for the family and local school officials allege that immigration agents used the 5-year-old as “bait” to compel his family to open their door. Conversely, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has strongly disputed this account, calling it an “abject lie.” DHS officials maintain that the child’s father fled on foot, leaving the boy behind in a running vehicle, necessitating the officers’ intervention to secure the child’s safety.
Government attorneys argue that the family had overstayed their immigration parole and are subject to lawful removal proceedings. Administration officials have consistently maintained that strict enforcement of immigration statutes, including the apprehension of those with expired status, is essential for national security and the orderly maintenance of the immigration system. Supporters of the administration’s policies assert that the executive branch holds broad authority to enforce deportation orders and that judicial interference in individual cases undermines broader enforcement goals.
Judge Biery, a nominee of former President Bill Clinton, has a history of penning colorful and distinctive legal opinions. The Dilley facility where the family was held has frequently been a focal point for legal challenges regarding the detention of migrant families. This latest ruling highlights the ongoing tension between the judiciary and the executive branch regarding the scope and implementation of immigration enforcement operations.
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