A federal judge intervened to halt the removal of a five-year-old boy and his father following a controversial immigration arrest in the United States that reignited discussions about Donald Trump’s border policies.
US Judge Fred Biery issued a temporary order on Monday to prevent the deportation or transfer of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias while their legal case progresses.
The father and son are currently detained at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas. They were apprehended last week outside their Minnesota residence in a raid criticized by neighbors and school officials. Allegations surfaced that immigration officers used the young boy as “bait,” instructing him to knock on the door to lure his mother outside.
The Department of Homeland Security refuted these claims, labeling them as false. Officials asserted that Mr. Arias fled on foot, leaving his son in a running vehicle in the driveway.
Efforts to contact the family’s attorney, Jennifer Scarborough, and Department of Homeland Security representatives regarding the court ruling were unsuccessful.
Federal authorities maintain that Mr. Arias resided in the US unlawfully, although specific details were not disclosed. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated that the father entered the country without proper documentation in December 2024.
The family’s legal representative indicated that Mr. Arias has a pending asylum application that could enable him to stay in the country legally.