Minneapolis, 07 February (H.S.): The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday its intent to deport 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, an Ecuadorian boy detained alongside his father in a Minneapolis suburb last month, thrusting the Trump administration's stringent immigration enforcement into the national spotlight.

Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, both asylum applicants who entered the US legally, were apprehended by federal agents in early January and held at the Dilley, Texas ICE detention facility until a judge mandated their release on January 31.

The heart-wrenching image of Liam—clad in a blue bunny hat and clutching a Spider-Man backpack outside their home—propelled the case to viral prominence, igniting protests across Minnesota against ICE operations that have fatally shot two US citizens in the state.

Attorney Danielle Molliver decried the proceedings as extraordinary and potentially retaliatory, alleging expedited removal efforts, though DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin countered that these constitute regular removal proceedings and standard procedure for upholding immigration statutes, dismissing retaliation claims.

The DHS accused Adrian Conejo Arias of illegal presence without elaboration, as lawyers for the family and the Department of Justice withheld immediate comment. This follows Trump's recent deployment of thousands of agents to Minnesota amid vows to de-escalate local frictions, even as demonstrations swell over ICE tactics—including body-camera mandates post-shootings and disputes like a man denying abandonment of his detained son.

Prior rulings, such as a judge's order freeing the pair, underscore judicial pushback, yet the administration presses forward, exemplifying its aggressive deportation agenda targeting even minors in high-profile sweeps. Critics decry the move as disproportionate, while supporters frame it as lawful border security.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar