U.S. Immigration Judge John Burns has ended the asylum claim of Ecuadorean native Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, who was taken into ICE custody with his father, Adrian Conejo Arias. He was detained in late January in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Public Radio reported that Judge Burns has issued a decision to end his and his family’s asylum claims. Following the news, Columbia Heights Public Schools, where Liam studies, expressed concern over the decision.
“The announcement that an immigration judge has ended the asylum claims of the family of Liam Conejo Ramos is heartbreaking. We understand that this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a positive outcome,” the school said in a statement.
Full story here:https://t.co/kv6u3KDmob
— Minnesota House DFL (@mnhouseDFL) March 19, 2026
According to Reuters, Attorney Danielle Molliver, who represents Ramos’ family, stated that the court’s decision will be appealed. However, this process could take from several months to years.
Liam was among those detained during the operations in Minnesota after the Trump administration deployed about 3,000 ICE agents in the state. He was detained for 10 days in a facility in Texas before he and his father were released.
Liam’s school district said in a statement, “The detention in January of Liam and his father shed light on the harm caused by Operation Metro Surge, during which many children and families have been detained.”
“While we respect the legal process, we cannot ignore the profound human impact—especially on children—of this federal action, which has disrupted the lives of so many of our community members who entered this country through legal means.”
Several pictures of his detention process drew national attention in late January. One of these images show Liam in a blue bunny hat outside his residence, as federal agents crowd him. Another showed his at the detention facility, wearing a Spider-Man backpack.
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
Liam’s detention was strongly condemned by Trump’s rivals. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas met him and his father at the detention center.
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, who ordered their release, accused the administration of “traumatizing children.” In a statement, the judge said that the case resulted from “the poorly planned and poorly executed government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
“Observing human behavior shows that for some, the desire for unchecked power and the imposition of cruelty in its pursuit knows no limits and lacks human decency. And the rule of law be damned,” the federal judge noted in his order.
Judge Biery also criticized the use of administrative warrants in immigration arrests. In his statement, he wrote, “Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not meet the probable cause standard. That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.”
