U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, a Bill Clinton appointee, on Saturday ordered that five-year-old Liam Conejos Ramos and his father, an illegal from Ecuador, be released from a detention center in Texas after the two were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.
Advertisement
Little Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, made headlines earlier in January after some legacy media outlets reported that the five-year-old had been “arrested” by ICE, complete with a photo that went viral of the boy standing with an agent on a frigid Minneapolis street. Oh, the cruelty, screamed the left. They’re arresting babies!
The truth, of course, was far different than what was being reported. It turned out that Conejo Arias had abandoned his son after agents approached a vehicle the two were in; the father took off on foot, apparently without regard for the safety and well-being of Liam. ICE agents kept Liam warm and treated him to a fast-food meal before trying to return him to family members in the area; those family members refused to open the door for law enforcement. Father and son were later reunited and sent to a family center pending a deportation hearing.
READ MORE: The Heartbreaking Story of What Really Happened When ICE ‘Arrested’ That Little Boy
JD Vance Schools Media After Reporter Pushes Debunked ‘5-Year-Old Arrested by ICE’ Hoax
That’s where Judge Biery comes in. In his ruling, Biery said the case of Liam Ramos originated from “the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.” Here’s more from Biery:
Advertisement
In a scathing opinion, which at times read more like a civics lesson, US District Judge Fred Biery admonished “the government’s ignorance of an American historical document called the Declaration of Independence” and quoted Thomas Jefferson’s grievances against “a would-be authoritarian king,” saying today people “are hearing echos of that history.”
Fox News’ Bill Melugin observed in a post on X that the judge’s ruling was dated “February 31st” and that Biery seemed to be supportive of protests against President Trump’s policies.
BREAKING: Texas federal judge Fred Biery (Clinton appointee) has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos & his father from ICE detention in TX. In his decision, he includes a photo of the boy and gets today’s date wrong (Feb 31st doesn’t even exist) while saying that… pic.twitter.com/58IbuQAZJZ
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 31, 2026
BREAKING: Texas federal judge Fred Biery (Clinton appointee) has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos & his father from ICE detention in TX. In his decision, he includes a photo of the boy and gets today’s date wrong (Feb 31st doesn’t even exist) while saying that ICE’s administrative warrants “do not pass probable cause muster…that is called the Fox guarding the henhouse…the Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.”
Judge Biery then goes on to write:
“Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned. Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation. But that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place.”
Judge Biery’s LinkedIn page also shows him liking a post today about millions protesting President Trump’s policies.
Advertisement
Melugin noted in another tweet that Judge Biery once wrote in a prior immigration-related case, “I understand why you want to be here. I was born about a mile north of the Rio Bravo, and won the lottery by being born on this side of it.” The judge’s order specifies that Liam and his father should be released “as soon as practicable,” but no later than Tuesday.
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as warranted.
Editor’s Note: Radical leftist judges are doing everything they can to hamstring President Trump’s agenda to make America great again.
Help us hold these corrupt judges accountable for their unconstitutional rulings. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.