Tensions reached a breaking point on Wednesday at an immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas, as state police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters. The demonstration was fueled by the ongoing detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy from Ecuador, who has become the face of a national debate over the government’s latest immigration crackdown.
About 100 people gathered outside the South Texas Family Residential Center, demanding the immediate release of the young boy and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. The protest took a chaotic turn when law enforcement officers, arriving in full riot gear, deployed tear gas canisters to push the crowd back. The situation became so intense that two international journalists were caught in the crossfire, with one temporarily incapacitated by the gas.
The case of young Liam has sparked widespread outrage since images first surfaced of him dressed in a blue bunny hat and carrying a Spider-Man backpack, surrounded by federal agents. The child and his father, both of whom are asylum seekers, were taken into custody in Minneapolis on January 20. Witnesses and school officials have alleged that agents used the boy as “bait” to draw the father out of their home—a claim that has intensified calls for a review of current enforcement tactics.
Inside the facility, the atmosphere is reportedly somber. Democratic congressmembers Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the child on Wednesday, later describing him as “lethargic” and “depressed.” Congressman Castro noted that the boy’s father is deeply worried because Liam has stopped eating and spends most of his time sleeping. The lawmakers emphasized that the family entered the country legally through authorized channels and had an active asylum case at the time of their arrest.
The legal battle over their future is now playing out in the courts. A federal judge on Tuesday issued an order temporarily blocking the deportation or transfer of the father and son while the litigation continues. This ruling offers a brief reprieve, but it has not silenced the voices of those calling for the permanent closure of family detention centers.
Local officials and advocates at the scene argued that the Dilley facility, which currently houses over 1,100 people, is being used to hold families who have no criminal records. As the midterm election year approaches, the incident has served as a flashpoint, with many calling for a complete overhaul of how the nation handles its most vulnerable asylum seekers.
