Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, Sick and Depressed in Texas ICE Family Detention Center
The story of little Liam Conejo Ramos, just 5 years old, has really tugged at a lot of hearts lately. This sweet kid from Minnesota got caught up in an ICE operation earlier this month, and now reports say he’s really struggling in a detention center way down in Texas.
It all started back on January 20 when federal agents picked up Liam and his dad, Adrian Conejo Arias, right after preschool in Columbia Heights. Those heartbreaking photos of him in his blue bunny-ear hat and Spider-Man backpack went everywhere online, showing him being led away. The family had come from Ecuador seeking asylum, and their lawyer insists they entered the country the right way at a border crossing.
A federal judge has since put a temporary block on any deportation while their case plays out, which is something, but they’re still held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.
Liam’s mom, Erika Ramos, shared with Minnesota Public Radio how worried she is. She said the food there isn’t good at all, and it’s making her son sick—he’s dealing with stomach pains, vomiting, a fever, and he just doesn’t want to eat anymore. She’s clearly heartbroken over the whole thing.
The superintendent of his school district, Zena Stenvik, talked to Huffington Post after speaking with Erika. She described Liam’s health as “not doing great right now,” mentioning the fever and how concerned everyone is about him being in that place.
Then, on January 28, Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro went to visit Liam and his dad. He spent about half an hour with them, though Liam was asleep the whole time. In a video he posted, Castro said it wasn’t a physical emergency, but the boy’s father told him Liam hasn’t been himself—he’s been sleeping a ton because he’s depressed and sad. Castro even noted how Liam keeps asking about that blue hat and Spider-Man backpack from the arrest photos, which apparently got taken away.
He posted a photo from the visit too, writing that he demanded their release and told them how much love and prayers are coming from his family, school, and even the country.
Advocates like Leecia Welch from Children’s Rights have pointed out bigger problems at facilities like Dilley. She said during recent visits, almost every kid she spoke to was sick this winter—one teen mentioned getting ill seven times. There are reports of poor food conditions (even mold or worms in some cases), limited medical care, and kids showing real trauma: deep sadness, depression, panic attacks, you name it. She called detaining children like this inhumane and un-American.
Liam’s school district added that he’s one of four kids from their community picked up by ICE recently. They put out a strong statement saying actions tearing families apart don’t belong anywhere, especially not around schools, and they’re calling for families to be reunited and for things to calm down so kids can just learn and be kids again.
It’s tough to read about a little boy so far from home, feeling sick and missing his mom, his friends, and even his favorite things. The whole situation has people across the country hoping for a quick, compassionate resolution.
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