A federal judge has issued a temporary order barring the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father who were detained last week in Minnesota in an incident that has inflamed immigration policy debates under the Trump administration. U.S. Judge Fred Biery ruled Monday that removal of Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is on hold while their court case proceeds. The two are detained at a family detention facility in Dilley, Texas, near San Antonio.

The case has drawn scrutiny from immigration advocates and members of Congress, who have questioned the circumstances of the detention and raised concerns about conditions at the facility. It represents the latest flashpoint in expanded immigration enforcement operations.

Conflicting Accounts of Detention

The boy and father were taken into custody outside their home in Minnesota last week. Neighbors and school officials say that federal immigration officers used the child as “bait” by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would answer.

The Department of Homeland Security disputed that account. “The father fled on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway,” DHS said, calling the description of events an “abject lie.”

Congressional Response

A photo of the boy wearing a beanie and a Spiderman backpack circulated widely on social media, drawing reactions from lawmakers.

“He has become emblematic of the monstrosity of the ICE system and the detention system,” U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said in a Facebook video. Castro announced that he and fellow Texas Democrat U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett would visit the father and son on Wednesday at the detention center.

“It is inhumane to be keeping young kids like that in that place,” Castro said.

Federal officials have said the father was in the U.S. illegally, though they did not offer details about his entry. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said the man entered the country in December 2024.

The family’s attorney said the father had a pending asylum claim that allowed him to remain in the country. An online court summary shows the case was filed on December 17, 2024, and is assigned to the immigration court inside the Dilley detention center.

Detention Center Conditions

Advocates have raised concerns about the family detention facility. They say conditions inside include constant illness and insufficient medical access.

The child’s immigration status remains unclear, and it is uncertain whether the 5-year-old was legally in the United States. If he was not, he may be subject to deportation with one or both parents.