US seeks deportation of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos over immigration status

US Department of Homeland Security Announces Plans to Pursue Deportation of Ecuadorian Asylum Seeker and Father

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that it will continue to pursue the deportation of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Conejo Arias, following their recent return to Minnesota. According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the family’s case is being handled through regular removal proceedings.

The pair had been detained on January 20 after a school district in Minnesota accused immigration officials of using the preschool student as “bait” for his father. The administration of President Donald Trump has led an immigration crackdown in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge, which deployed up to 3,000 agents to the state at its peak.

The detention of Conejo Ramos and his father had drawn significant attention after they were transported from Minnesota to Dilley, Texas, where they were kept in an immigration processing centre. On January 27, a judge ruled that the pair should be released while they challenged their expulsion.

DHS has denied claims by the family’s lawyer that the agency is seeking expedited removal as “retaliatory” actions. Instead, McLaughlin stated that the proceedings are standard and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing immigration laws.

The Trump administration has faced criticism over its handling of the Operation Metro Surge crackdown, with reports of violence against bystanders and warrantless arrests prompting the withdrawal of nearly 700 immigration agents this week. The detention of Conejo Ramos and his father remains a high-profile flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration policies.

Source: Al Jazeera