Judge orders release of five-year-old detained by ICE in Minneapolis

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 31, 2026 at 11:14 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A U.S. judge ordered the release of a five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, from an immigration detention center in Texas on Saturday, after they were detained in Minneapolis. The detention of the boy, who was taken into custody on his driveway, sparked national outrage. Immigration officials claimed they were targeting the father, an "illegal alien," as part of "Operation Metro Surge," a ramped-up immigration enforcement effort in Minneapolis. Judge Fred Biery criticized the detention as driven by a "perfidious lust for unbridled power" and linked it to deportation quotas. The family's lawyer stated they came from Ecuador in 2024 seeking asylum and were following proper protocols. The judge ordered their release by February 3rd.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Operation Metro Surge 40% Ecuador 40% San Antonio 40% Donald Trump ×250% Department of Homeland Security 50% Fred Biery ×360% Texas 60% Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 70% United States ×270% Minneapolis ×370% Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias ×280% Liam Conejo Ramos ×590%

Keywords

immigration detention 90% child detention 90% judge order 80% deportation 70% immigration enforcement 60% minneapolis 60% federal agents 50% asylum 50%