The US government is moving to deport a five-year-old boy detained in Minnesota, denying claims it is using an expedited process.
WASHINGTON: The US Department of Homeland Security is seeking to deport a five-year-old Ecuadorean boy who was detained in Minnesota last month. The department denied it was pursuing an expedited removal, calling the proceedings “regular”.
A lawyer for the boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, had told the New York Times the Trump administration was seeking an expedited deportation. Lawyer Danielle Molliver described the move as “extraordinary” and possibly “retaliatory”.
“These are regular removal proceedings,” department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. “This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.”
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Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were detained at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dilley, Texas. A judge ordered their release on January 31, after which they returned to Minnesota.
Both had entered the US legally as asylum applicants. The Department of Homeland Security accused Conejo Arias of being in the US illegally but provided no additional details.
The case gained national attention after a photo circulated of Liam wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack during his apprehension. President Donald Trump and top officials have recently said they aimed to deescalate tensions in Minnesota.
Trump had deployed thousands of federal agents to the state as part of an immigration crackdown. Protests have erupted across Minnesota in opposition to the deployment.
Immigration agents have fatally shot two US citizens in the state during the operation. Lawyers for Liam and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
