U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, appointed by President Bill Clinton, ordered the release of Adrian Conejo Arias and his 5-year-old son, Liam Conejo Ramos, after the pair were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota and transferred to a family detention facility in Texas.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, ordered immigration authorities to release Adrian Conejo Arias and his 5-year-old son, Liam Conejo Ramos, after their detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota and subsequent transfer to a family detention facility in Dilley, Texas.
In his written order, Biery—who sits in San Antonio and was appointed by President Bill Clinton—sharply criticized the government’s enforcement approach and said the case stemmed from “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.” The judge also wrote that the government showed an “ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence.”
The case drew wide attention after images circulated of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat and carrying a Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by federal officers during the Jan. 20, 2026, arrest outside the family’s home in a Minneapolis-area suburb.
Supporters, including local residents and school officials, argued that the child was used to try to draw Liam’s mother to the door—an accusation the Department of Homeland Security has rejected. DHS has said ICE did not target the boy, and that during the encounter Conejo Arias ran from officers and left Liam behind in a vehicle; DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the father then asked that Liam remain with him, after the child’s mother declined to take custody.
Biery’s order included a photo of Liam and cited Bible verses, including a passage attributed to Jesus about letting children come to him. Court records and previous reporting indicate Biery had earlier issued an order preventing the pair’s removal from the United States, at least temporarily.
Two Texas Democrats—Reps. Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett—visited the pair in detention, and Castro later escorted them back to Minnesota. Rep. Ilhan Omar publicly welcomed the family’s return in a Feb. 1, 2026, social media post praising Castro for accompanying them home.
The ruling comes amid heightened debate over immigration enforcement tactics, particularly when children are caught up in arrests, and as the legal status of the father’s immigration case remains unresolved.
