DHS Responds to Criticism Over Minor’s Detention After Mother Declined Custody

U.S. Senator Accuses ICE of Unjustly Detaining 5-Year-Old with Immigrant Father

A heated dispute has erupted between Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth and Department of Homeland Security officials over the detention of a 5-year-old boy with his immigrant father in South Texas.

Senator Duckworth of Illinois has publicly criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for what she describes as “needlessly” detaining young Liam Ramos alongside his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. The pair are currently being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, approximately 1,300 miles from their Minnesota home.

“Trump’s ICE snatched this bright, happy 5-year-old from his driveway,” Duckworth wrote in a social media post. “They shipped him 1,300 miles to suffer, without his mother, in a squalid Texas detention center. And now he’s growing ill. Democrats are fighting to end this cruelty. Liam is not a criminal. Let him go.”

However, DHS officials have pushed back strongly against the Senator’s characterization of both the detention circumstances and the child’s health. Dr. Sean Conley, acting director of DHS’ Office of Health Security and chief medical officer, issued a statement asserting that a pediatrician had examined Ramos and “found no medical concerns.”

“It is standard policy to provide medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” Dr. Conley explained. “This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility and access to necessary medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.”

The incident began on January 20 when federal immigration authorities attempted to take Conejo into custody in a suburb of Minneapolis. According to DHS officials, Conejo fled, leaving his son who was arriving home from preschool. ICE officers reportedly remained with the boy while others pursued and apprehended his father shortly thereafter.

At the center of the dispute is what happened next. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claims that ICE officers made multiple attempts to have the child’s mother, who was inside the home, take custody of her son. According to McLaughlin, “officers even assured her she would not be taken into custody,” but “the alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.”

Senator Duckworth has strongly rejected this explanation, telling Fox News Digital, “The Trump administration suggesting that needlessly keeping a 5-year-old in federal custody is in his best interests is appalling. Detaining children like this is cruel, no matter what Trump’s DHS says. The best thing they can do for Liam is return him to his mother.”

The case highlights ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement policies and concerns about humane treatment, particularly regarding children. According to federal authorities, Conejo entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024 and was released by the Biden administration. The family’s attorney contends he had a pending asylum claim that permitted him to remain in the country legally.

On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the deportation of both father and son, providing a temporary reprieve as the case continues to draw national attention and spark debate over immigration enforcement practices.

The detention occurs against the backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which has emphasized stricter border controls and deportation policies. Critics argue these policies separate families and harm children, while supporters maintain they are necessary for national security and border integrity.

As the legal process unfolds, the case of Liam Ramos may become a focal point in the ongoing national debate over immigration policy, particularly regarding the treatment of children caught in enforcement actions.