Father and Son Released from ICE Custody After Court Order
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on Sunday, following a court order mandating their release. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery directed government officials on Saturday to release the pair "as soon as practicable," according to CBS News. The father and son, who are asylum seekers originally from Ecuador, were detained by federal agents earlier in January in Minnesota and subsequently sent to a detention facility in Texas, ABC News reported.
Upon their release, Conejo Arias expressed his relief, telling ABC News' John Quiñones in an exclusive interview, "I'm happy to finally be going home." He added that Liam was also "very happy to be going back" to see his mother and brother. They arrived back in Minneapolis on Sunday, according to ABC News.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed the release in a statement, according to CBS News. "The facts in this case have NOT changed: ICE did NOT target or arrest a child," she said. She further stated that "The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to..."
The release comes amid ongoing debate regarding immigration enforcement and the operations of ICE. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated on Sunday that his caucus would meet to determine how to proceed on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, according to ABC News. Jeffries also said the agency should be "dramatically reformed." He criticized ICE agents, stating, "ICE agents should conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country as opposed to running around -- masked thugs, in many instances unleashing brutality on law-abiding American citizens."
The debate over DHS funding and ICE operations occurs as Democrat Christian Menefee won a special election for a Texas U.S. House seat on Saturday, narrowing the Republican majority, according to ABC News. Menefee, the Harris County attorney, defeated Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner.
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