Judge Delays Deportation Bid for 5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos

The Department of Homeland Security had filed a motion Wednesday to accelerate the family's removal proceedings. In response, attorney Danielle Molliver requested additional time to prepare a defense, which the court ultimately granted. The family remains in Minnesota, having returned after a federal judge ordered their release from the Dilley Immigration Processing Center earlier this month.

Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were originally apprehended on January 20 during Operation Metro Surge, an enforcement campaign in the Twin Cities. The detention period in Texas was marked by allegations of substandard hygiene, inadequate medical care, and poor food quality at the CoreCivic-run center. While the administration maintains its actions are standard legal enforcement, critics—including Congressman Joaquin Castro—argue the government is unfairly targeting the family. Arias expressed ongoing fear for their future, noting that the legal pressure continues to weigh heavily on their lives.