Detention Transfer Triggers Nationwide Outcry ICE agents seized 5‑year‑old Liam Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias in Minneapolis on 20 January and relocated them to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, a move framed as part of the Minnesota‑based Operation Metro Surge [1]. The family entered the United States from Ecuador in 2024 using the CBP One app and scheduled an asylum appointment, according to their attorney [1]. Their detention has become a flashpoint for criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement [1][2].

Protesters Confront Troopers with Noise and Signs Demonstrators gathered on 28–29 January outside the Dilley facility, marching along the highway, blowing whistles, honking horns, and beating drums while holding signs that read “Children are not criminals!” [2][1]. A vigil earlier that day transitioned into a protest that attracted unions, faith leaders, and community groups demanding the boy’s freedom [1]. Visual documentation shows crowds encircling the detention center and confronting law‑enforcement barriers [2].

State Police Deploy Pepper Balls and Barricades Texas state troopers responded by erecting barricade tape, donning full riot gear, and firing pepper‑ball projectiles and a canister of pepper spray into the crowd [2][1]. One officer was captured throwing an object into the protesters, escalating the clash [1]. The chemical irritants were intended to disperse the demonstrators and restore order around the detention site [2].

Democratic Lawmakers Enter Facility Demanding Freedom Representatives Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett, and Greg Casar entered the Dilley center on 29 January, posted social‑media messages urging the release of Liam Ramos, and condemned the administration’s rhetoric [1]. Castro publicly “demanded his release,” while Crockett expressed that her “heart absolutely breaks” for the family [1]. Casar called for an end to the detention, linking it to broader concerns about family separation [1].

Family Lawyer Insists Asylum Process Was Legal Attorney Marc Prokosch told reporters the father and son complied with all asylum protocols, presented themselves to Customs and Border Patrol, and posed no flight risk, arguing they should never have been detained [1]. ICE, however, justified the detention by claiming the father “abandoned his child” and emphasized the operation’s focus on “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” [1]. The contrasting narratives highlight the legal and political dispute surrounding the case [1][2].