U.S. Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett paid a visit to a five-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father at a federal detention center in Texas on Wednesday. The boy had been detained by federal agents in Minneapolis recently, sparking outrage over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and strengthening the resolve of Democrats and others opposed to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Castro reported that they met with Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, for approximately 30 minutes in a courtroom within the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, close to San Antonio. Meanwhile, outside the facility, Texas state police officers engaged with demonstrators showing support for the detainees.
A photo of the boy, captured wearing a blue winter hat and a Spider-Man backpack during his detention, circulated widely, eliciting strong emotional responses. Castro described the child as a symbol of the harsh reality of the ICE and detention systems.
According to Castro, Liam’s father shared that the boy has been sleeping more, inquiring about his mother and classmates, and expressing his desire to return to school. Castro urged President Trump to consider how it would feel if his own grandchildren were in a similar situation, emphasizing the need for the release of Liam and other detainees.
The lawmakers’ visit was part of their efforts to oversee congressional activities and shed light on the consequences of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Liam and his father were apprehended by ICE agents in Minneapolis amid a widespread operation that has caused significant unrest in the city, leading to fatal encounters with federal officers.
Neighbours and school officials alleged that federal immigration officers used Liam as “bait,” instructing him to knock on his house’s door to lure his mother out. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refuted this claim, stating that the father fled on foot, leaving the boy in a running vehicle in the driveway. The father’s immigration status was reported as illegal by federal authorities, with a pending asylum claim allowing him to remain in the U.S.
Following a court order prohibiting the Trump administration from deporting Ramos and Arias, the family’s attorney revealed that the asylum claim was filed in December 2024 and is under review at the Dilley detention center.
After the meeting, Castro shared a photo on social media depicting Liam in his father’s arms with his eyes closed. Crockett emphasized that Liam was just one of many children they encountered at the facility who expressed their concerns about not receiving an education, calling for a better approach to their care.
Outside the detention center, tensions rose as protesters gathered in support of the detainees, prompting a response from Texas state police deploying chemical irritants and making arrests. Castro criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for overseeing what he deemed a rogue immigration enforcement operation.
Crockett, along with other Democrats, demanded Noem’s impeachment and opposed funding bills supporting the DHS and associated immigration agencies. The Senate Democrats vowed to block DHS funding, even in the face of a potential government shutdown, following the tragic death of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis.
The events surrounding Liam and his family have further fueled the ongoing debate over immigration policies and enforcement practices in the U.S.