Liam Conejo Ramos’ parents say child still lives in fear after ICE detention: 'He is very different'

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The parents of Liam Conejo Ramos say their son is still dealing with fear months after he was detained by federal immigration agents.

The five-year-old, who was briefly detained by federal immigration agents earlier this year, is apparently struggling with behavioral changes that have his parents deeply concerned.

Liam Conejo Ramos is 'no longer as he was before'

Liam’s parents, Adrián Conejo Arias and Erika Ramos, say life hasn’t returned to normal since that January day when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained the young boy and his father outside their home in Minneapolis.

Speaking to CBS News, the parents described a noticeable change in their son’s personality that hasn’t faded with time.

"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," Conejo Arias said in an interview translated from Spanish. "It does worry us that this will not heal quickly."

Ramos added, "My boy is very different."

Liam has been seeing a psychologist since his release, but his parents say the changes are still evident, from hypervigilance to avoiding people altogether.

The arrest that sparked outrage

The incident unfolded on January 20, when Liam and his father were returning home from preschool.

Images of Liam wearing his backpack and a hat with bunny ears went viral after ICE agents took both father and son into custody in their driveway. The visuals fueled backlash, especially after the two were separated.

They were later transported from their Columbia Heights neighborhood to a family detention center in Dilley, where they remained for nearly two weeks before a judge ordered their release.

But while the legal chapter may have closed, the emotional toll appears far from over.

Ramos said her son still reacts with fear at the sight of law enforcement. "He sees police officers, and he says, 'It's ICE, Mommy,'" she said.

Conflicting narratives and political fallout

The case has also been tangled in conflicting accounts. ICE previously alleged that Conejo Arias abandoned his son while attempting to flee, something he flatly denies.

"It's not true what people are saying," he said. "I never did and never would."

The agency’s parent body, the Department of Homeland Security, doubled down in a statement posted to X. "On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration," DHS said.

"As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias," the statement added.

The situation drew comments from JD Vance, who addressed the incident during a January 22 press conference in Minneapolis. He defended ICE agents, saying he was proud that President Trump’s administration was "standing behind law enforcement," and equally proud they were "enforcing the country's laws."

At the same time, he acknowledged the emotional toll. "It’s traumatic for the kids. I can recognize that, and I can recognize that we’ve got to support these kids while, on the other hand, saying that just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean that you get complete immunity from law enforcement," Vance said, after referring to Conejo Arias as “an illegal alien in the United States of America.”

DHS has also maintained that Liam himself was not a target of the operation.