The image of a boy wearing a rabbit hat and carrying a Spider-Man backpack, surrounded by federal agents, didn’t just make headlines across the United States — it became a global symbol of an increasingly aggressive immigration policy. Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old, went from being a preschooler in Minnesota to one of the most visible faces of the crackdown on immigration spearheaded by the Trump administration. Now, his case is entering a decisive phase. A federal immigration judge in New York has denied his family’s asylum request, paving the way for their deportation, though the process is not yet final.
The family’s lawyers have appealed the decision, allowing them to remain in the country while the case remains under review. The ruling, as attorney Paschal Nwokocha explained to the press, is not recent, although it was made public this week. “A few weeks ago, an immigration judge based in New York issued a decision to terminate their asylum application and order them removed from the United States,” he noted. However, he clarified that the appeal has already been filed with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and remains pending.
The most controversial aspect of the ruling is that, according to the defense, the family — originally from Ecuador — never had the opportunity to fully present their case. “The challenge we have is that they have not had a chance to actually tell their story to an immigration judge. The judge terminated it without the benefit of them presenting the merits of their case to the court,” Nwokocha stated.
Liam’s story began to garner national attention on January 20, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained him and his father at the entrance to their home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, during an immigration enforcement operation in that state. According to school officials, the boy was allegedly used as a decoy so that agents could enter the home, an accusation that sparked public outrage.
Both were transferred to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas. The detention occurred even though the family had an asylum application pending after entering the United States in 2024.
Widely circulated images of the child in custody sparked protests and political pressure. Federal judge Fred Biery ordered his release in February, harshly criticizing the government’s actions. The judge described the case as the result of an “ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Despite the public outcry, the government did not back down. Instead, it stepped up its efforts to deport the family through expedited procedures. One such procedure is “expedited removal,” a recently expanded tool that allows for the acceleration of deportation proceedings for migrants who have been in the country for less than two years.
In addition, the government requested that the asylum case be closed without a hearing where the family could advocate for the merits of their petition, a strategy increasingly used to expedite deportations. The immigration judge accepted that argument, leaving the family with a limited window to appeal. “Considering all this family has gone through, the trauma and public reaction, it’s unbelievable that the government is continuing to traumatize them,” said Nwokocha. He also questioned the authorities’ sense of urgency: “The family remains in shock as to why the government is in such haste to deport them without giving them their day in court.”
According to the defense, Liam’s family has no criminal record and meets the legal requirements to apply for asylum. “This family has not violated any laws of the United States,” the attorney stated, adding that they do not represent “the worst of the worst,” which the Trump administration has described as its primary targets.
Meanwhile, the Columbia Heights school district, where Liam attends school, called the decision “heartbreaking.” In a statement, it said: “We understand that this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a positive outcome. Our thoughts are with Liam and his family, and we will continue to advocate for and support Liam and all children.”
The outcome now rests with the Board of Immigration Appeals, a body whose composition has changed over the past year and is currently composed mostly of appointees from the Trump administration. No date has been announced for when a decision will be made.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition
