The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday it is pursuing deportation proceedings against a five-year-old boy from Ecuador who was detained in Minnesota last month, a case that has drawn widespread attention and criticism.
The department rejected claims that it is seeking to fast-track the child’s removal from the United States, after the boy’s lawyer told The New York Times that the Trump administration was attempting to deport him under an expedited process.
Government Rejects Claims of Retaliation
Danielle Molliver, the child’s attorney, described the move as “extraordinary” and suggested it could be retaliatory.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, however, dismissed that characterization.
“These are standard removal proceedings,” said Tricia McLaughlin, adding that there was “nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.”
Lawyers representing the child and the U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Detention and Release
The child, identified as Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, entered the United States legally as asylum applicants. Both were later detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dilley, Texas.
A judge ordered their release on January 31, after which they returned to Minnesota.
Despite their release, the Trump administration defended renewed removal efforts, with Homeland Security officials accusing Conejo Arias of being in the country unlawfully, though no further details were provided.
Public Reaction and Political Context
The case gained national attention after images circulated showing the young boy wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack as federal agents detained him outside his home.
President Donald Trump and senior officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to ease tensions in Minnesota, following the deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents to the state as part of a broader enforcement campaign.
The deployment has sparked protests across Minnesota, where demonstrators have opposed the expanded immigration operations. The protests intensified after two US citizens were fatally shot by immigration agents during enforcement actions in the state.