A US Democratic Congressman, Joaquin Castro, shared about his meeting with Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old detained by federal immigration authorities. He said that the kid is showing signs of depression after being held for days in a Texas detention facility.
The Texas representative said he spent about 30 minutes with Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dilley, Texas. Castro said the boy was asleep during his visit and that his father told him the child "hasn’t been himself," adding that Liam had been sleeping excessively and appeared "depressed and sad."
In a video post on X, Castro said, "His dad said that he hasn't been himself, that he's been sleeping a lot because he's been depressed and sad, and so Liam actually was not awake during our visit."
He further added, "I am concerned about his mental state, and we spoke to many parents throughout our visit. We were there from 11 to 2.30, so a very long inspection of the facility."
He then went on to share that he interacted with a lot of other parents in the facility, and all of them raised the concern about their children going through anxiety and depression and losing weight due to not just the food, but also their mental state.
"There were a lot of parents there who talked about their kids experiencing deep depression, anxiety, people losing weight, both because of the bad food, but also because of their mental state. And with Liam, you know, I very bluntly told the ICE officials there," Castro said in the 12-minute-long video.
Asserting his stance against the situation Liam had to face, Castro said, "Liam needs to be released, that the country demands his release, and that no child that's five years old should be in detention like that," and said that he opposed the child's continued detention.
Adding about his time spent at the facility and his observation, he said, "With respect to Dilley, with all of the people in that facility, there are no criminals in Dilley. Donald Trump said this was about arresting illegal criminal aliens. That's his language. There isn't a single criminal over there because if you've committed a crime."
Earlier this week, a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the deportation of Liam and his father, ruling that the federal government could not move them out of the court’s jurisdiction while they challenge their detention. Castro said the boy’s family was legally permitted to enter the United States, as they had applied for asylum through an approved legal pathway.
Liam and his father were arrested by ICE agents in Minnesota on January 20.
The pair are asylum seekers from Ecuador. Images showing the pre-schooler wearing a blue bunny hat and backpack while being held by immigration officers sparked widespread outrage and renewed criticism of federal immigration enforcement practices.
