A federal judge has intervened to halt the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father following a contentious immigration arrest in the United States that reignited discussions on border policies associated with Donald Trump.
US Judge Fred Biery issued a temporary order on Monday, preventing any efforts to deport or relocate five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias while their legal case progresses.
The duo is presently detained at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas.
Their apprehension last week outside their residence in Minnesota, in an operation that has garnered broad disapproval, allegedly involved immigration officers using the young boy as a lure by instructing him to knock on the door so his mother would open it.
The Department of Homeland Security has vehemently refuted this version of events, branding it a “blatant falsehood.” Officials asserted that Mr. Arias fled on foot, leaving his son in a running vehicle in the driveway.
Efforts to contact the family’s attorney, Jennifer Scarborough, and representatives from the Department of Homeland Security for feedback on the court order were not immediately successful.
Federal authorities maintain that Mr. Arias was residing in the United States unlawfully, though specific details have not been disclosed. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated that the father entered the country without proper documentation in December 2024.
The family’s legal representative has indicated that Mr. Arias has a pending asylum application that could potentially allow him to stay in the country legally.