MINNEAPOLIS — In a pivotal immigration case that has captured national attention, a United States immigration judge has rejected the asylum petition filed by the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old child whose photograph in a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack became symbolic of recent immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. Immigration Judge John Burns issued a deportation order directing the family’s return to Ecuador, according to their legal representation.
The child and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were apprehended by federal immigration officers in a Minneapolis suburb on January 20. Following their detention, they were transferred to a Texas detention facility where they remained for ten days until a judicial order secured their release.
Legal counsel for the family has immediately filed an appeal against the judge’s determination. Danielle Molliver, the family’s attorney, expressed profound disappointment with the ruling, characterizing it as ‘misguided.’ She affirmed their commitment to pursuing all available legal avenues to challenge the decision, though she acknowledged that the appellate process could extend over several years.
Meanwhile, Liam has resumed attendance at his suburban Minneapolis school. However, both he and his father continue to experience significant psychological distress stemming from their detention experience, with their attorney noting they remain ‘scared’ about potential outcomes.
The initial arrests occurred during a large-scale immigration operation that deployed thousands of federal officers across the Minneapolis region. These operations triggered sustained public protests and were marked by the fatal shooting of two American citizens by federal agents.
Controversy emerged when community members and school officials alleged that immigration officers utilized Liam as ‘bait’ by instructing him to knock on his residence’s door to prompt his mother’s appearance outside. The Department of Homeland Security has vehemently denied these allegations, labeling them an ‘abject lie.’ Government officials maintain that the child’s father attempted to flee on foot, leaving the boy unattended in a vehicle parked in their driveway—an assertion the father disputes.
The central legal dispute concerns Adrian Conejo Arias’s immigration status. Federal authorities contend he entered the United States illegally in December 2024, while the family’s legal team asserts he entered lawfully while seeking asylum, which they argue permits his continued presence in the country during the adjudication process.