Less than a day after a judge ordered federal immigration officials to release 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from detention, new photos showed the boy finally back home in Minnesota. Liam was still wearing the bright blue dog hat that made him instantly recognisable after images of his arrest spread across the country.
Photos of Liam being taken into ICE custody while clutching a Spider-Man backpack and wearing a blue hat with ears quickly became a rallying image at protests throughout the week. On Wednesday, a judge ordered that Liam and his father be released from custody. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio then personally escorted them back to Minnesota.
Castro shared photos from the journey on Instagram along with a message celebrating their return home. “Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack. Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We won’t stop until all children and families are home,” he wrote.
Earlier images had shown Liam looking visibly frightened as agents led him into an ICE vehicle, a moment that sparked outrage far beyond immigration advocacy circles.
Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, were arrested on January 20 at their home in Minnesota and taken to the South Texas Family Residential Centre in Dilley. Their detention quickly drew national attention. According to reports, both entered the United States legally, and neither has a criminal record.
ICE agents reportedly approached the family in their driveway. The Trump administration later claimed the father attempted to flee. After detaining him, agents allegedly had Liam knock on the front door of his own home to check whether anyone else was inside. Officials later described that step as standard protocol.
After the operation, Liam and his father were transported across state lines to Texas. The administration defended the move publicly as criticism mounted.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the situation during a press appearance on January 22. “So the story is that ICE detained a 5 year old. Well, what are they supposed to do?” Vance said. “Are they supposed to let a 5 year old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?”
As the days passed, concern grew about Liam’s condition in detention. On January 29, CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash aired an update that included a photo of Liam asleep in his father’s arms. Castro, who provided the image, appeared alongside them.
Castro told CNN that the boy was struggling. “He said that he misses his classmates and his family and wants to be back in school,” Castro said. “He keeps asking about that hat and that backpack that are in the picture. I think they took that from him.”
The congressman said he was deeply worried after speaking with Liam’s father. “His dad said that he’s been depressed and been despondent and isn’t eating well, that he’s been very lethargic,” Castro said. “He needs to be released immediately.”
A judge agreed, ordering that Liam and his father be released from the Texas detention centre no later than Tuesday. New photos and short videos now show them boarding a flight home, walking through snow after landing, and relaxing together on a couch. Liam is smiling again, posing on the stairs in his familiar blue hat and later holding a Pikachu backpack.
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also shared a photo with Liam and his father on X after meeting them, marking a dramatic end to a case that ignited a national debate over immigration enforcement and the treatment of children.
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