The mother of a five-year-old boy detained with his father by US immigration authorities has described a harrowing ordeal, saying she watched helplessly from her window as agents took her child away, an incident that has sparked national outrage and legal scrutiny.

‘They used my child as bait’

Erika Ramos told Telemundo that her son, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, were returning from preschool on January 20 when immigration agents confronted them in Minnesota.

“I saw everything from the window and couldn’t do anything,” Ramos said, sobbing. She said her husband begged her not to step outside, fearing she too would be arrested, leaving their other child alone. Ramos is also pregnant.

According to her account, agents removed Liam from the car and brought him to the house, knocking repeatedly while the child pleaded, “Mommy, open the door.” Ramos said she was paralysed by fear and did not open it. “They used my boy as bait,” she said.

Conflicting accounts from authorities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputed her account, stating that the child’s father fled when approached, leaving Liam behind. “For the child’s safety, one officer remained with him,” DHS said.

Ramos strongly denied this, insisting her husband never abandoned their son. DHS also claimed Ramos refused to take custody of the child, a claim she contests.

Both Liam and his father were later transferred from Minnesota to Texas and are currently held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center.

Health concerns and court intervention

Ramos said she has been told her son is unwell, suffering from fever, stomach pain and diarrhoea, and that he has not been given medication. DHS said a paediatrician examined Liam and found no medical concerns, adding that medical care is standard upon entering Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

Last week, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the child’s removal from the United States. Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro said he visited the family in detention and demanded Liam’s release.

Growing criticism

The case has intensified criticism of immigration enforcement practices, with rights groups accusing authorities of using children as leverage. DHS has rejected the allegation, saying officers acted in the child’s best interests.

Ramos has made a simple plea: “Please give them back to me.”