A five-year-old boy and his father, who were detained during aggressive immigration raids ordered under US President Donald Trump, have been released from custody and returned to their home in Minnesota, triggering renewed debate over the impact of immigration enforcement on children.

Detained after preschool pickup

Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian, asylum seekers from Ecuador, were held for 10 days at the Dilley detention centre in Texas after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 20. The arrest took place as Liam arrived home from preschool in a Minneapolis suburb, according to school officials.

Images of the child wearing a blue bunny hat and backpack while in immigration custody spread widely online, fuelling public outrage across the US and abroad.

Judge orders release

US District Judge Fred Biery ordered their release on Saturday, strongly criticising the government’s actions. In his ruling, Biery said the case stemmed from an “ill-conceived and incompetently implemented” pursuit of deportation quotas, even if it meant traumatising children.

He cited protections under the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution and warned against conduct resembling authoritarian practices.

Leaders escort family home

US Representative Joaquin Castro said he personally escorted Liam and his father from the detention facility and accompanied them back to Minnesota. “Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack,” Castro wrote on social media.

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also shared images welcoming the family home, calling the moment emotional and overdue.

Conflicting accounts from authorities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied claims that the child was targeted, saying Liam remained with his father at the father’s request. Neighbours and school officials, however, alleged that officers used the child to draw his mother to the door — a claim DHS rejected.

The case has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over immigration enforcement, child welfare and civil liberties, as protests against the administration’s policies continue across several US states.