Camilla Jessen
Months after the incident, his parents say life has not returned to normal.
A five-year-old boy detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is still struggling with the aftermath, according to his parents in an interview with CBS.
Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were taken into custody in January while walking home from preschool in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. They were held for nearly two weeks in a Texas detention facility before a judge ordered their release.
The case drew widespread attention after an image of the child during detention circulated globally.
Speaking to CBS, Liam’s parents said their son’s behaviour has changed since the incident.
“As parents, it worries us a lot that he’s no longer as he was before, and we’re worried this could last a long time,” his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, said.
His mother, Erika Ramos, added: “My boy is very different,” explaining that Liam now reacts fearfully to police officers, saying, “It’s ICE, Mommy.”
Behaviour changes
According to his parents, Liam is now receiving psychiatric care and has difficulty returning to normal routines.
They said he no longer shows the same enthusiasm for school and avoids certain activities he once enjoyed.
The family described a child who had previously been happy and social, but who now struggles with fear and withdrawal.
The judge who ordered Liam and his father’s release criticised the circumstances of their detention, saying it stemmed from an “ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas,” as reported by CBS.
Despite their release, the family still faces deportation after their asylum case was denied, CBS reported.
Disputed claims
The Department of Homeland Security said the family had received “full due process” and encouraged voluntary departure.
ICE had also alleged that Liam’s father attempted to evade arrest and abandoned his son, claims he denied.
“I think it was an injustice that they did that to us, when in reality we were doing everything right,” Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias said.
Sources: CBS News
