To which state were Liam Ramos and his father sent after being detained by ICE in Minnesota?

After being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota, Liam Ramos, a five-year-old boy, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were sent to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. The family, originally from Ecuador, had entered the United States in 2024 to seek asylum, and both Liam and his father had pending asylum claims at the time of their apprehension on January 20, 2026. The circumstances of their detention in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, drew national attention, with some reports alleging that ICE agents used Liam as "bait" to get his mother to open the door, a claim that the Department of Homeland (Review) Security disputed.

Texas often serves as a central location for ICE detention facilities, particularly for families with children, due to its numerous and large holding centers. The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where Liam and his father were held, is one such facility designed to house immigrant families. Rapid transfers of detainees across state lines, sometimes within hours of apprehension, are a documented practice by ICE. This swift relocation can present significant challenges for legal representation, as attorneys in the original jurisdiction may struggle to locate and assist their clients once they are moved to a different state and judicial district.

The detention of Liam and his father in Texas sparked protests and drew the attention of elected officials and immigration advocates. A federal judge in Texas ultimately ordered their release on January 31, 2026, finding that their detention was unconstitutional. Following the judge's order, Liam and his father were released from the Dilley facility and returned to Minnesota. This case highlighted the complexities and controversies surrounding immigration enforcement, family detention, and the legal protections available to asylum seekers in the United States.