A federal judge just issued an order protecting a detained 5-year-old, but the terrifying part is where DHS was trying to send him first

A federal judge just stepped in to protect a 5-year-old boy and his father, who were detained last week, temporarily blocking immigration officials from transferring them out of the judicial district, as reported by The Hill. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued a ruling that puts an absolute stop to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) immediate plans to move the family.

Judge Biery’s order specifically ruled that DHS officials cannot transfer 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, “outside of this judicial district during the pendency of this litigation and until further Order of this Court.” This is a huge development, especially considering the fact that the two were detained last week and are currently being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Dilley, Texas.

The detainment of this young student has rightfully sparked massive outrage from families and lawmakers across the country. The circumstances surrounding the arrest are particularly disturbing. Reports indicate that the boy was taken by federal officers after he came home from preschool in the Twin Cities school district.

The prospect of a small child being shuffled around while his legal status is being fought in court is just awful, so it’s a massive relief that the court intervened to keep them in place for now

This wasn’t an isolated incident either, which is really concerning. This is actually the fourth time a student in that specific Minnesota school district has been detained by federal officers during DHS operations in the state. When you hear about a 5-year-old being taken right after getting home from school, you can’t help but feel that the targeting has gone too far.

Lawmakers immediately reacted to the news. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) visited the father and son at the processing center, showing the human element of this legal battle. Castro later posted a photo that showed the man holding the sleeping child in his arms, which is truly heartbreaking. Castro stated that he “demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him.”

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn) was even more blunt in her response to the situation. She posted a video where she said, “This is a time where we should all be outraged. If this doesn’t pierce through your humanity, as a Republican member of Congress, if you can’t speak out about this, then you’ve got no humanity left.” She drove the point home in her caption, writing, “I can’t even believe this is America. If you support this, you have lost all humanity.”

It’s clear that lawmakers are seeing this as a moral issue that transcends typical political debates. When a child this young is involved, you’d expect a pause from everyone involved. However, in a jarring contrast to the widespread public and political fury, Trump administration officials have defended the decision to detain the child. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, who left Minneapolis recently, went on record to state that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are “experts with children.”

Bovino attempted to clarify the agency’s position during a press conference. “I will say unequivocally that we are experts in dealing with children,” he claimed, adding, “Let me say that again, experts in dealing with children, not because we want to be, but because we have to be.”