Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who has sought asylum in the United States, were released from a federal immigration detention facility on Sunday and flew Delta Air Lines back to Minneapolis, where the boy enjoyed a first class breakfast and a cockpit visit.
After Scathing Court Order, Father And 5-Year-Old Fly Delta Home From Texas Detention
Conejo Arias is from Ecuador. He came to the U.S. legally seeking asylum during the Biden Administration. He was released from custody while his application was pending, but did not have authority to work in the USA. With a family to support, he did work and was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month in Minneapolis.
DHS says he took off running, abandoning his son, while Arias says he was only a few feet ahead and desperately trying to find a family member who could take Liam. Per DHS, ICE agents attempted to hand over Liam to his mother, but she refused to accept custody of the child, a statement the family disputes.
Arias and Liam were taken into federal custody and transferred to an immigration detention facility in Texas outside San Antonio. On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a 78-year-old Clinton appointee, issued a scathing opinion ordering the release of the two:
“The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children…Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned.”
The opinion castigates the Trump Administration for what it calls the ignorance of law and history, noting that, “Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster. That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.”
Family Flies Home On Delta
Shortly after their release, the father and son flew from San Antonio (SAT) to Minneapolis (MSP) on a Delta flight arranged by US Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). Liam was pictured boarding in his father’s arm. Although the two were seated in economy class, video shows them enjoying a first class breakfast. Liam was also later brought into the cockpit, where he was presented with wings and trading cards for the Airbus A32o that took them home.
Flight attendants, pilots, and other passengers were reportedly in tears and the father and son traveled home in the early hours of the morning to Minnesota.
CONCLUSION
The family is not out of the woods yet: the next hearing in Arias’s assylum case is later this month and if his application is denied, he will be deported to Ecuador.
But at least for now, the family is reunited thanks in part to Delta Air Lines.
image: @johnquinones / Instagram
Should’ve never come to this, but, glad the journey home is a special one.
Gotta work in that aviation angle somehow
You forgot to accuse everyone you disagree with of ‘TDS’… /s
That so-called judge issued a “legal opinion” that sounded very much like a stump speech
This is the same “judge” who ruled every Texas can vote by mail (5th circuit slapped him down hard)
We need to get rid of politicians in robes and just have people who will go by the precise text of the law
Read the opinion: the judge cited the law. The 4th Amn doesn’t allow for rogue masked agents to round you up in the way he was ambushed.
the “judge” also was using words like “arcane immigration system” and posting a photo of the boy
That has no place whatsoever in a legal opinion
Given this “judge’s” past rulings that have swiftly been overturned, he does not deserve the benefit of the doubt
“Derek” is a Nazi piece of shit.
OK comrade
Nazis were leftists and ICE is doing legal necessary work.
The American people voted for this (3 times) and wanted this.
Agreed!
Juan is correct; Derek and Walter are two of the overt neo-Nazis on here. Dave was other, but Matt banned him. There’s more, like Not Scott, but I donno if he’s on this blog as much. What ever happened to Andy S. Are some of you merely just white supremacists, or full-blown Nazis?
according to some of you commies, anyone left of Stalin is a Nazi
Easier distinction is that sane-folks are against dictators… right or left. Clearly, Nazism isn’t sane, derek. And the fact you don’t vehemently deny/reject it, is concerning. No one here is endorsing communism or Stalin, either. You do seem fine with the authoritarianism we’re witnessing today, including the scapegoating of immigrants and use of paramilitary to do so, which is very much Nazi-shit.
They aren’t rogue, they are deputized and run by the federal government.
LOL…as if anyone in the MAGA Republican Party follows the law. That is hysterical. And you have the audacity and nerve to complain about ‘activist judges’? Are you out of your mind? What drug are you on? You people are true sociopaths.
Since when was there a law that allowed a president and the grifters he calls family so openly accept bribes and profit off of our government?
Right….lets start with the convicted sex offender convicted felon who ignores every law ever written and acts as they choose without any regard to the rule of law. Your ‘leader’ would be in jail and/or court if you criminals hadn’t put him back in the white house. You and your cohorts are as big of criminals as he and his pathetic family are.
Great job by the Delta crew! Well done.
Who exactly is persecuting Conejo Arias in Ecuador?
One does wonder. Poverty is not persecution.
This is a fair question – and I’m not saying he should not be sent back. But not in the way he was rounded up…
That’s a question for an asylum officer or immigration officer. Not some jackbooted ICE thug.
For several years, Ecuador has been in the throes of an extraordinary level of violence perpetrated against its people by brutal narcotrafficker. A once a very safe country, Ecuador has been plunged into paroxysms of brutality and violence, rare even by the standards of narcotraffickers. So before anyone gets all high and mighty about what may or may not have led this family to flee, Ecuador, try something really novel, become informed. Learn a little bit before you speak blindly and foolishly. There is a legal process and it is run through the offices of immigration judges. While no one supports the illegal entry of people into our country nor should we tolerate violent criminals without legal status, who harm our citizens and others in the migrant communities there is no excuse for what is happening to people like the father and the boy, much less US citizens being shot in cold blood by federal law enforcement. We are not Iran, we are not Russia. We are supposed to be a Christian nation and the last time I checked Christ didn’t throw five-year-olds into detention centers thousands of miles from home.
Persecution and fear of persecution are not the only bases upon which a foreign national may successfully seek asylum in the US.
The crew did a great job being so kind to him. It was nice to see these days.
After all the kid’s been through, he’s forced to fly on the most evil airline on Earth? Shame.
How many kids, legally in the US either by citizenship or proper entrance, get to have this kind of a treat?
I don’t know, how many five-year-olds are hauled away by federal agents and taken across state lines to be dumped into a squalid prison, then denied medicine when sick?
100%
BANG! Well said.
Frank, with all due respect, have you ever given any thought to when you became so heartless? Do you consider yourself a Christian by any chance?
In 2024 and 2025, I have seen pilots on my Delta and American flights allow kids to check out the cockpit while the plane is parked on the ground. I am glad to see it happen more often again, as my own flying began as a kid invited into the cockpit by the pilots.
So the father knowingly broke the law by working and we are celebrating him being released? Trust me I dont support the roundups, but if you are here breaking the law you should 100% be deported.
So what should the dad have done? Just taken welfare while he waited for his hearing? #maddness
How about the employers? If you want to come down hard on poor immigrants just trying to find work to feed their family, how about applying the same lack of humanity to owners of the businesses that hire them? Gonna need to build a lot of country club prisons for them all if you send out the ICE goons to kidnap (or murder) them like they’re going after the dishwashers, maids and gardeners they all knowingly employ.
Oh, I see. Your outrage is only for brown-skinned poor people. Rich white guys get a pass for their crimes. Got it.
I would rather see Corey Lewandowski and Stephen Miller leave the US as both have been breaking US laws for as long as they have been an adult and are a net liability for the country.
“…a squalid prison.” Please describe the conditions at the prison, Matthew.
See this ACLU report for example.
Sorry, but the ACLU always skews according to their own liberal opinion, direction, ideologies, etc……ergo….
All
Criminals
Love
Us
The ACLU always skews it according to their liberal opinions, ideologies, etc. and they are not always right.
Ergo….
All
Criminals
Love
Us
It’s beautiful to see the compassion from the crew in creating a kind memory for the child. In deportation by numbers, we should aim for a little more thought and consideration whenever possible. I don’t know how we can teach this
Kudos to Delta and this crew for doing this. A class act.
If you find the treatment of this child anything other than reprehensible, you do not believe in American values.
Delta gone woke.
Who would have thought!
Only disturbed individuals would consider showing kindness to people who have just been through a hellacious ordeal “woke”. We’re dealing with a man and his boy. They came to this country legally. They were horribly mistreated. Delta isn’t taking a positions, some humans working for Delta decided to show some kindness to some other nice ordinary law abiding humans who got a raw deal.
Is someone impersonating you, or is this the same “Sean M.” (and using that profile picture) that was head of operations for airlines in Africa?
And, if it is you, what are you even doing/thinking, sir? Or, is it really gotten so bad over that you have to be a sycophant to Trump/Putin to keep your job. Sheesh.
Call it whatever you want… (the words meanings have changed). Let’s be clear, empathy is strength; cruelty is weakness.
Why did the Father not try to get his status fixed or get sponsored for some kind of Visa?? If his wife is a US citizen this would not be hard to do???? Vs being illegal and having government agencies trying to find him!!! They make it so difficult on themselves and them blame President Trump and the government for their Predicament!! Something needs to be done to find the illegal criminals let in by the past administration!!!
His father wasn’t illegal. He legally applied for and was awaiting word on his application for asylum.
I bet many of the disgusting comments on this thread are spewed forth from people who erroneously consider themselves Christians.
And some honestly thought that DL’s hub at MSP would take a hit because of all that is going on in MN… and yet ABCNews was on the flight and aired exclusive excerpts as its lead story.
Oh, so, Delta benefits from this horror? Huh, not sure that’s the PR spin you think it is, Tim.
Valid concerns for MSP, still. Who would want to visit for business/leisure these days? Postpone any visits until the Trump-stapo is out. I feel for the locals most.
Say what you want, but these folks were definitely not flown “home”.
The plane would have had to fly south for that.
Thank you Delta Airlines Crew for your compassion for a little boy. . As to the ICE Agents that snatched him up …Just like there were Nazi hunters after WWII, there will be ICE hunters after Trump is gone.
No, there won’t be ice hunters, Comrade
Where is your outrage for Obama making extensive use of ICE?
Seems to be a lot of racists and bigots ‘outing’ themselves.
The ones wbo see racism everywhere are the actual racists.
Hahaha. Sure pal
ICE agents under Trump are terrorists. Tear gassing kids, murdering Americans. This isn’t a left or a right thing. This is basic human decency. You don’t tear gas kids just for being part of a peaceful remembrance. There is no justification for doing so. None.
There is no room for debate. If you support this, you are less than human scum.
We can deport u documented people without terrorizing, killing Americans and tear gassing
Trump is starting a civil war is this country while raping it of its wealth and ignorant morons are cheering him on. What a messed up, screwed up country. Truly ashamed to be an American and truly ashamed to be in anyway associated with the terrorists.
What a nightmare.
Well, this certainly generates a lot of clicks and “engagement”…
I would assume we all agree a system that says, “Fine, we’ll consider your asylum application. In the interim you can stay in the US, but not work or collect welfare,” is idiotic. (Please do not read into my post what solution I might support. I just point out that this situation is ridiculous for asylum seekers with no savings—that is, pretty much all of them.)
Perhaps, the news didn’t make it to Columbus, Ohio, yet, but do recall there’ve been attempts at bi-partisan immigration reform this and last decade, but, Trump literally told Republicans to stop it so he could run on the broken system and use demagoguery and propaganda and voter suppression and cruelty to consolidate power. Again, probably just that it takes a while for it to reach Ohio. That’s my guess. At least CMH gets that new terminal in 2029!
You should check out what ICE’s lawyer has said to a federal district court judge in Minnesota. It shows that the US Government has been destroyed by the Trump regime to such extent that it lacks lawyers to do the work the regime creates with its lawless occupation and kidnapping operations in Minnesota. It’s so bad that the judges should haul in hyper-corrupt Noem and her DHS in-charge boy toy Corey Lewandowsk for contempt of court.
I am looking forward to Minnesota state law criminal charges against a lot of DHS employees in a couple of years. Masked or not, a bunch of DHS goons will be identified and are deserving of criminal prosecution in Minnesota under Minnesota state law.