A Texas-based federal judge granted a temporary reprieve to a Minnesota family, preventing the immediate deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father. The ruling came on Tuesday, following a week of international attention and outrage over the arrest and detention of the family.
According to various news sources, Liam Ramos, a preschooler, and his father, Adrian Cornejo Arias, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on January 20. The family had been living in the United States for several years after fleeing violence in Guatemala.
The arrest sparked widespread protests and condemnation, with advocacy groups and politicians calling for the family's release. In response to the mounting pressure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would not deport the family while their case was being reviewed.
However, the family's lawyers filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, arguing that the father and son should be released from detention due to concerns over their health and well-being. The lawsuit also challenged the legality of their detention and deportation.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman granted the family's request for a temporary restraining order, preventing ICE from deporting or transferring Liam and his father out of the judicial district where they are being held. The order also required that the family be provided with adequate food, water, and sanitation, as well as access to legal representation.
The ruling marked a small victory for the family, who continue to face an uncertain future. According to their lawyers, the family is currently being held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. They are expected to remain there while the litigation challenging their detention and deportation proceeds.
The case has highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding immigration policy in the United States, with many advocates and politicians arguing for more compassionate and humane treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. The Biden administration has pledged to reform the immigration system, but critics argue that the current policies still result in the separation of families and the detention of children in immigration facilities.
Sources:
"Five-year-old boy and father cannot be immediately deported, judge rules," The Guardian, January 27, 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/liam-ramos-child-father-deportation-blocked
"ICE arrests father and son at their home in Minnesota, sparking protests," The Washington Post, January 21, 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/21/ice-arrests-father-son-minnesota/
"Biden administration to end family detention in immigration facilities," CNN, February 2, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/biden-immigration-family-detention/index.html
A Texas-based federal judge granted a temporary reprieve to a Minnesota family, preventing the immediate deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father. The ruling came on Tuesday, following a week of international attention and outrage over the arrest and detention of the family.
According to various news sources, Liam Ramos, a preschooler, and his father, Adrian Cornejo Arias, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on January 20. The family had been living in the United States for several years after fleeing violence in Guatemala.
The arrest sparked widespread protests and condemnation, with advocacy groups and politicians calling for the family's release. In response to the mounting pressure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would not deport the family while their case was being reviewed.
However, the family's lawyers filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, arguing that the father and son should be released from detention due to concerns over their health and well-being. The lawsuit also challenged the legality of their detention and deportation.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman granted the family's request for a temporary restraining order, preventing ICE from deporting or transferring Liam and his father out of the judicial district where they are being held. The order also required that the family be provided with adequate food, water, and sanitation, as well as access to legal representation.
The ruling marked a small victory for the family, who continue to face an uncertain future. According to their lawyers, the family is currently being held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. They are expected to remain there while the litigation challenging their detention and deportation proceeds.
The case has highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding immigration policy in the United States, with many advocates and politicians arguing for more compassionate and humane treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. The Biden administration has pledged to reform the immigration system, but critics argue that the current policies still result in the separation of families and the detention of children in immigration facilities.
Sources:
"Five-year-old boy and father cannot be immediately deported, judge rules," The Guardian, January 27, 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/27/liam-ramos-child-father-deportation-blocked
"ICE arrests father and son at their home in Minnesota, sparking protests," The Washington Post, January 21, 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/21/ice-arrests-father-son-minnesota/
"Biden administration to end family detention in immigration facilities," CNN, February 2, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/biden-immigration-family-detention/index.html
