Activist Judge’s Order Contains NONEXISTENT Date—Released Anyway

A Clinton-appointed federal judge ordered the release of a five-year-old boy and his illegal immigrant father from ICE custody, blasting the Trump administration with inflammatory rhetoric while glossing over the father’s decision to flee authorities and abandon his child in a vehicle.

Story Snapshot

• Judge Fred Biery ordered release of Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, and father Adrian Conejo Arias from Texas detention facility by February 3, 2026, using inflammatory language against DHS
• ICE targeted the Ecuadorian father in Minnesota operation on January 20; father fled on foot, abandoning child in vehicle before both were detained together
• Judge’s ruling contained factual errors including non-existent “Feb 31” date and included child’s viral photo with anti-administration rhetoric accusing government of “perfidious lust for power”
• DHS maintains mother refused custody of child and father chose to remain with son at family facility, where pediatric exam found no medical issues

Judicial Activism Interrupts Lawful Enforcement

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a scathing order on January 31, 2026, mandating the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Conejo Arias from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. The Clinton appointee incorporated the child’s viral photo—showing him in a blue bunny hat—directly into his ruling while accusing DHS of incompetence and a “perfidious lust for power.” Biery referenced the Declaration of Independence and characterized the administration’s deportation enforcement as cruel quotas. The judge’s order contained a glaring error, citing the non-existent date “Feb 31” as the release deadline, raising questions about the thoroughness of his review.

Father’s Flight Creates Detention Scenario

The January 20, 2026 incident in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, unfolded when ICE agents targeted Adrian Conejo Arias, who entered the United States from Ecuador in late 2024. When approached by authorities, the father fled on foot, leaving his five-year-old son Liam alone in a vehicle. Both were subsequently detained and transferred together to the South Texas Family Residential Center, a family detention facility near San Antonio, Texas. DHS officials maintain the child was never a target of the operation and that all actions prioritized the boy’s safety. Dr. Sean Conley, a DHS medical officer, confirmed that a pediatric examination found no medical issues with the child following his detention.

Custody Disputes and Conflicting Narratives

Significant contradictions emerged regarding custody arrangements and the father’s immigration status. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated the child’s mother refused to take custody of Liam when offered, and that Adrian chose to remain with his son at the family facility rather than accept separation. However, Columbia Heights school officials claimed another adult was willing to take custody but ICE rejected the arrangement. Attorney Marc Prokosch, representing the family, asserts the father entered legally via the CBP One app for asylum processing, directly contradicting DHS claims of illegal entry. These conflicting accounts highlight how the case became weaponized for political purposes by opponents of immigration enforcement.

Broader Implications for Border Security

This case represents another instance of judicial interference with the Trump administration’s efforts to restore order at the southern border and enforce immigration law. The administration has prioritized removing individuals who entered illegally during the Biden years, when lax policies released hundreds of thousands pending asylum claims. Judge Biery’s inflammatory rhetoric—accusing the government of ignorance regarding founding documents while making factual errors himself—exemplifies the activist judiciary’s resistance to lawful enforcement. Senator Tammy Duckworth amplified criticism by calling the detention “cruel,” ignoring the father’s own choices that created the situation. The ruling threatens to establish precedent for habeas corpus challenges that could slow deportations and undermine border security efforts.

Political Theater Over Child Welfare

The viral photo of young Liam in his blue bunny hat became a propaganda tool for open-borders advocates, despite DHS maintaining standard procedures throughout. Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik reported four students were detained that day, framing the operation as traumatizing communities rather than enforcing law against adults who violated immigration statutes. The case echoes 2018 debates over family separation, yet DHS kept this family together at a dedicated family facility. Critics conveniently ignore that the father’s decision to flee officers created risk for his child, and that the mother’s refusal of custody left authorities managing the boy’s welfare. This manufactured outrage serves political opponents seeking to obstruct legitimate enforcement and preserve the chaos of unchecked illegal immigration.

Sources:

Judge Orders Release of Viral Father and Son Duo Held by DHS – Townhall

Judge orders release of 5-year-old, father detained in Minnesota ICE raid – MarketScreener

DHS fires back after Dem accuses ICE of needlessly detaining boy with father after mom refused to take him – Fox News

Judge blocks removal of 5-year-old detained by ICE in Minnesota – Good Morning America