Protesters and lawmakers gather outside Texas facility where Minneapolis child is held

January 29, 2026

A five-year-old prekindergarten student named Liam Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias are being detained at a Texas immigration facility after ICE officers apprehended them in Minnesota on January 20th. The detention has sparked widespread protests and visits from Democratic lawmakers who are demanding their release, with conflicting accounts emerging about the circumstances of the arrest—ICE claims the father abandoned his child while fleeing, while school officials say the father was with the child and others offered to take custody of the boy. The family's attorney maintains they properly followed asylum procedures after entering from Ecuador in 2024, using the CBP One app and attending all required hearings.

Who is affected

Liam Ramos (5-year-old child) and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias
The family members of the detained father and son
Students and staff at Columbia Heights Public Schools where Liam attended
Community organizers, unions, and faith leaders in Texas participating in protests
Protesters clashing with state troopers outside the Dilley, Texas facility
Other families and children detained at the facility
Residents of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other Minnesota cities affected by Operation Metro Surge
Two US citizens killed by federal agents in Minneapolis

What action is being taken

Protesters are marching, holding vigils, yelling, blowing whistles, and honking outside the Dilley, Texas detention facility
State troopers are holding a line against protesters
Representatives Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett, and Greg Casar are visiting the facility and speaking out publicly
The lawmakers are demanding the release of the father and son
ICE is conducting Operation Metro Surge immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota

Why it matters

This case represents a significant test of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement priorities, as it involves the detention of a young child and his asylum-seeking father who, according to their attorney, followed all proper legal procedures. The situation has become a flashpoint highlighting the tension between aggressive immigration enforcement and humanitarian concerns, particularly regarding the treatment of children and asylum-seekers. The conflicting narratives about the arrest—whether the father abandoned his child or was wrongfully detained with him—raise questions about ICE's operational transparency and accountability, while the broader Operation Metro Surge has already resulted in the deaths of two US citizens and sparked nationwide protests.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC