MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities have denied attempting to expedite the asylum claims of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was detained alongside his father amid a significant immigration enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area.
Photographs capturing Liam wearing a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration agents have sparked significant public outrage regarding the crackdown.
According to Danielle Molliver, the family's attorney, the government is allegedly trying to accelerate the deportation process, a move she describes as “extraordinary” and potentially “retaliatory.” In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has refuted these claims.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, “These are regular removal proceedings. They are not in expedited removal,” emphasizing that enforcing immigration laws is not retaliatory.
Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, originally from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on January 20, and were transported to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. They were released following a judge’s order and returned to Minnesota on February 1.
Community members and school officials allege that immigration officials used the young boy as “bait” to draw out his mother, claiming he was instructed to knock on their front door. DHS has labeled these allegations a “lie,” asserting that Adrian attempted to flee the scene, leaving the boy in a running vehicle.
The government maintains that Adrian Conejo Arias entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024, though the family attorney insists that he has a pending asylum claim, allowing him to remain in the country.
