CALLS FOR RELEASE 5-Year-Old Held in US Detention Sick and Depressed, Say Lawmakers

A five-year-old boy detained alongside his father at a Texas immigration centre is suffering from illness and depression, say his mother and visiting politicians.

Young Boy Sick and Miserable in Detention

Liam Conejo Ramos, aged five, is being held at the South Texas Family Residential Centre in Dilley, near San Antonio. His father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is detained with him. Liam has been plagued by stomach pain, vomiting, and fever. His mother, Erika Ramos, who remains in Minnesota, blames the poor-quality food at the facility for her son’s declining health.

Lawmakers Shocked at Conditions

Democratic Representatives Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited Liam and his father on Wednesday. The child remained asleep in his dad’s arms the entire half-hour meeting and did not wake once. Castro revealed, “His dad said he hasn’t been himself, sleeping a lot because he’s depressed and sad.”

The father told them Liam constantly asks about his mum and school friends and desperately wants to get back to school. Castro posted a touching photo of the boy asleep in his father’s embrace, adding: “I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him.”

Criticism of Detention Centre Conditions

• Liam was snatched from his driveway in Columbia Heights as he came home from school last week—a photo of the boy in a Spider-Man backpack and winter hat sparked outrage over harsh immigration raids.
• Rep Crockett, running for US Senate, said Liam was one of several children at the centre “not receiving any education.”
• Attorney Eric Lee labelled conditions “absolutely abysmal”: guards mix baby formula with contaminated water, food contains bugs, and staff often verbally abuse detainees.
• He also revealed a client with appendicitis was told to “take Tylenol and come back in three days” after collapsing in a hallway.
• The centre faces serious allegations of civil rights abuses in federal court.

Calls for Release and Justice

Castro demanded Liam’s release, challenging President Trump: “I’d ask President Trump—who has grandchildren the same age as some kids here—to imagine them behind bars.”

A federal judge issued a temporary injunction preventing the deportation of Liam and his father while their case is reviewed. Their lawyer says they entered the US legally and are seeking asylum.