A federal judge ordered the release of an Ecuadorean boy and his father who were detained by immigration officials during a Minnesota raid, and they were escorted back to Minnesota on Sunday by U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro. The case has sparked renewed calls from Democrats for immigration reform following recent enforcement operations and shootings involving ICE agents.
Liam Conejo Ramos and Father Released
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ruled on Saturday that the case stemmed from “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.” Biery, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, questioned the use of “administrative warrants” issued by immigration officials, calling it “the fox guarding the henhouse.”
Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, Liam Conejo Ramos, had been held in a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. They entered the United States legally as asylum applicants. A photo of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat outside his house with federal agents nearby went viral last month. He was one of four students detained by immigration officials in a Minneapolis suburb, according to the Columbia Heights Public School District.
Representative Castro, a Texas Democrat, said he picked up Conejo Arias and his son Saturday night and escorted them back to Minnesota on Sunday. “Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack,” Castro said. “We won’t stop until all children and families are home.”
Calls for Immigration Reform
Democrats have demanded reforms after large-scale enforcement operations in Minnesota and other states, and following two deadly shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis involving ICE agents. These demands include mandatory body cameras, ending roving patrols, and halting the use of face masks.
Funding for the Homeland Security Department has been stalled as Republicans and Democrats negotiate over a DHS bill. President Donald Trump said Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, that they “will be talking about that in the near future.”
Some Republican mayors also see a need for reforms. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that they are “generally encouraged that the administration seems to be exploring that pivot.” Holt added that mayors are “caught in a little bit of an impossible situation” with federal immigration enforcers’ presence in cities, and events in Minneapolis threaten to erode trust between authorities and residents.
Trump on Sunday ordered DHS to refrain from dealing with protesters unless federal property is threatened or local officials request help.
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