Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into ICE custody with his father in Minneapolis last week. He is being held at a Texas detention center and is currently in poor health. The superintendent of Ramos’ Columbia Heights Public School district has revealed the current condition of the boy’s health. “Unfortunately, Liam’s health is not doing great right now,” said Zena Stenvik.
“He’s been ill. I’ve been told he has a fever. So I’m very, very concerned about his well-being in that facility,” said the superintendent. His mother also said that she is “incredibly distraught” after hearing the news about her son. “Liam is getting sick because the food they receive is not of good quality,” the mother told MPS News on Monday.
Rep. Joaquin Castro posts new image of Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old currently detained by ICE. pic.twitter.com/uxIqqU8DWj
— FactPost (@factpostnews) January 28, 2026
“He has stomach pain, he’s vomiting, he has a fever, and he no longer wants to eat,” she added. Ramos is being held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. His father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is also being held at the same center.
According to family attorney Prokosch, Arias entered the nation lawfully and has no criminal history. On Tuesday, Ramos and his father’s deportation was briefly halted by a federal judge. Attorney Eric Lee, who is representing some families detained at the Texas facility where Arias and Ramos are being held, said that the conditions at the center were “absolutely abysmal.”
Lee said on Monday, “They mix baby formula with water that is putrid. The food has bugs in it. The guards are often verbally abusive.” He told Minnesota Public Radio, “One of my clients had appendicitis, collapsed in the hallway, was vomiting from pain, and the officials told him, ‘Take a Tylenol and come back in three days.'”
I know everyone can sleep more peacefully at night knowing that this dangerous criminal known as Liam Conejo Ramos age 5, is off the street…🙄. pic.twitter.com/eixz5mzhkD
— Covie (@covie_93) January 22, 2026
Lee also said that when he visited the center this month, the children were kept in the dorms. He claimed that it might be intentional. “The families are not allowed to leave their dorms today. That is extremely unusual. I’ve never heard of that happening before. And they’re trying to prohibit the children inside from exercising their free speech,” said the attorney.
According to The Mirror US, Ramos and Arias were among the detainees at the ICE facility in Texas when Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) visited on Wednesday. Following the meeting, he shared a picture on social media that showed Castro standing with Ramos, who appeared unwell. The boy was spotted dozing off and lying limp in his father’s arms.
“Just visited with Liam and his father at Dilley detention center,” wrote Castro. “I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him,” he added.
