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A five-year-old boy detained for nearly two weeks by US immigration authorities is now suffering from nightmares and severe fear that his family could be separated again, according to his father.
Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, returned to Minneapolis on Saturday after a federal judge ordered their release while their asylum cases proceed. Both are Ecuadorian nationals seeking protection in the United States.
The pair were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on 20 January outside their family home as Adrian was returning with Liam from nursery. Adrian said agents told his pregnant wife, who is expecting their third child, to remain inside the house.
Speaking to Telemundo, Adrian said his son has been deeply affected by the experience. He described Liam waking up repeatedly at night in distress, crying and calling for help, fearful that authorities could take him away again.
A photograph showing Liam wearing a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack while surrounded by ICE agents spread widely online, triggering public outrage and protests.
Since their release, Adrian said the family is living in fear and largely staying out of public view. “We are in hiding,” he said, adding that they are afraid to leave their home.
Adrian also alleged that agents discussed using Liam to draw other family members out of the house — a claim echoed by witnesses, including a staff member from Liam’s school. Authorities have denied these accusations, stating that the father attempted to flee and that Liam’s mother declined to take custody at the time.
The Department of Homeland Security has rejected claims that the child was used as “bait,” but the case has intensified debate over immigration enforcement practices involving young children.
The family’s lawyer said both father and son were complying fully with asylum procedures and should never have been detained.
