By Maria Tsvetkova
NEW YORK, March 18 (Reuters) – An immigration judge has ended the asylum claim of the Ecuadorean boy who was detained during an immigration raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota Public Radio reported on Wednesday, citing a lawyer for the boy and his family.
Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody at the age of five along with his father in late January and spent 10 days in a detention facility in Texas before both of them were released and returned home. A photograph showing Liam in a blue bunny hat outside his house, with federal agents standing nearby, drew national attention.
U.S. Immigration Judge John Burns issued the decision to end the asylum claims of Liam and his family. Attorney Danielle Molliver who represents the family, told the station the decision would be appealed, a process that can take months, if not years. The lawyer did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
“The announcement that an immigration judge has ended the asylum claims of the family of Liam Conejo Ramos is heartbreaking. We understand that this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a positive outcome,” Columbia Heights Public Schools, a school district near Minneapolis where Liam studies, said on Wednesday.
Liam was detained during Operation Metro Surge, when President Donald Trump deployed about 3,000 armed immigration agents to deport migrants in Minnesota. On different days in January, immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis who had come out to protest or observe the agents. In a rare retreat, Trump ended the operation last month, leaving the city grappling with trauma and economic damage.
“The detention in January of Liam and his father shed light on the harm caused by Operation Metro Surge, during which many children and families have been detained,” the school district said.
“While we respect the legal process, we cannot ignore the profound human impact—especially on children—of this federal action, which has disrupted the lives of so many of our community members who entered this country through legal means.”
(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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