Child Deported, Bodies Returned: Global Tensions & Talks Unfold

US Congressman Visits Detained Five-Year-Old Amid Immigration Concerns

Dilley, Texas – U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro met with five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Dilley, Texas, on January 28, 2026. The visit occurred amidst growing concerns over immigration enforcement policies and their impact on children and families.

Castro shared a photograph on social media of Liam resting in his father's arms, stating that he told Liam "how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him," according to Castro's X account. Liam became a focal point of the debate surrounding ICE operations after being detained last week while returning home from preschool in Minneapolis. He was photographed in ICE custody wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack.

The incident involving Liam follows a similar case earlier in January, where five-year-old Génesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos, a U.S. citizen, was deported to Honduras alongside her mother on January 11, according to The Guardian. Génesis had reportedly never been to Honduras before. Her mother, Karen Guadalupe Gutiérrez Castellanos, whose visa application was pending, intends to send Génesis back to the U.S. soon with another relative. Génesis misses her cousins, classmates, and kindergarten teachers in Austin, Texas.

These cases highlight the wide reach of immigration enforcement and raise questions about the impact on children, particularly those who are U.S. citizens.