An image of a 5-year-old with a Spider-Man backpack fueled protests, then the government was forced to respond

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of a 5-year-old boy and his father after they were detained during an immigration operation in a Minneapolis suburb. The case drew national attention after an image of the child circulated widely online. The incident was detailed by The New York Times.

The boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were arrested last week in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, shortly after Conejo Arias picked Liam up from school. They were later transferred to an immigration detention facility near San Antonio, Texas, where they remain.

The image that fueled public reaction showed Liam wearing a winter hat and a Spider-Man backpack while in federal custody. The photograph spread quickly and intensified criticism of increased immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities, which local officials have tied to the Trump administration’s push to expand deportations.

The photo became the center of a national dispute

Judge Fred Biery of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an order preventing federal authorities from removing Liam or his father from the court’s jurisdiction. This moment intersects with broader coverage about ICE, like how it will be active during the Super Bowl, and nothing about it feels routine.

Accounts of the arrest differ sharply. Columbia Heights school district officials allege that federal agents used the child as bait at the family’s home in an attempt to draw out other relatives. They also said Liam is one of four students in the district recently detained by immigration authorities.

The Department of Homeland Security disputes those claims. Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said that Conejo Arias, an Ecuadorian national, entered the United States illegally in December 2024 and fled when agents arrived, leaving Liam behind. DHS said the child’s mother refused to take custody and that the father requested Liam remain with him, adding that agents did not target or arrest the child and that both are being held together in Dilley, Texas.

Attorney Jennifer Scarborough, who represents the father and son, rejected the illegal entry allegation in court filings. She stated they entered legally at a border crossing in Brownsville, Texas, and complied with asylum procedures, arguing their detention violated federal guidelines.

The case has prompted responses from local leaders and educators. School district officials and Minnesota lawmakers held a news conference Tuesday at the State Capitol in St. Paul, where Board of Education Chair Mary Granlund said two detained students were stopped while traveling to school and another was taken while preparing to leave home, amid other political debate that saw Donald Trump screaming about Ilhan Omar’s income.

The Columbia Heights district serves about 3,400 students, and officials said fear and absenteeism have increased since the arrests. Teachers reported students asking whether they could also be taken, while district leaders warned the disruption is ongoing as the legal challenge continues.