The administration of Donald Trump has taken action following legal proceedings filed on behalf of a young boy held by ICE.
Liam Conejo Ramos, aged five, was detained along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, in Minneapolis.
A video showing Liam being led away by ICE agents, carrying a Spiderman backpack and wearing a blue hat, ignited widespread anger on social media and globally.
Now, Liam’s relatives are alleging that the Department of Homeland Security is imposing ‘retaliatory’ challenges and is seeking to accelerate deportation measures for Liam and his father.
Following their arrest in Minnesota on January 20, they were transferred to an ICE facility in Texas, where they were housed with other families.
Daneille Molliver, from Nwojocha & Operana Law Offices, who is representing them, stated that a motion from the DHS filed Wednesday seeks to hasten their deportation process.
Molliver indicated that such a reaction is ‘not very common’ and described the DHS motion as ‘retaliatory’.
“It’s really frustrating as an attorney, because they keep throwing new obstacles in our way,” he said. “There’s absolutely no reason that this should be expedited. It’s not very common.”
Adrian Conejo Arias shared his thoughts since being detained, telling MPR News through a Spanish translator: “The government is moving many pieces; it’s doing everything possible to do us harm, so that they’ll probably deport us. We live with that fear too,.”
Molliver noted that deportation might not send the father and son back to their native Ecuador, and they might have the option to seek asylum in another country.
The case has garnered nationwide attention after the footage of Liam being detained by ICE officers became viral on social networks.
Liam has returned to Minnesota this week, where he was greeted by Minnesota US Rep. Ilhan Omar and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas.
In a prior interview with PBS News, Castro commented: “Liam is not doing well. He has been sleeping a lot. He hasn’t been eating well, and he’s been very depressed. He misses his mom, he misses his classmates, and he wants to go home.”
The Texas representative further criticized conditions at the Dilley detention center in Texas, where detainees reported finding ‘worms occasionally in their food’.
The US federal government has been conducting an ongoing ICE operation in Minnesota, prompting statewide community opposition to ICE’s actions.
During the operation, ICE agents have been involved in the deaths of two Minnesota residents: Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, both aged 37.
Pretti was reportedly pinned to the ground by several officers while trying to assist another demonstrator, at which point an officer shot him 10 times in five seconds at close range.