Democratic congressman Joaquín Castro confirmed on his X account that the father and son returned to Minneapolis, Minnesota, after their release. Images of young Liam wearing a rabbit hat and Spiderman backpack surrounded by ICE agents went viral, leading to protests and criticism of the detention of migrant families.
Federal judge Fred Biery, appointed by Bill Clinton, stated that the case demonstrates the "misguided governmental pursuit of daily deportation quotas, even if it traumatizes children." Previously, the judge had ruled that neither Liam nor his father could be deported from the country, at least for now.
The detained families reported deplorable conditions, including worms in the food, lack of clean water, and poor medical care. A recent ICE report revealed that around 400 children were held longer than the legal limit of 20 days.
This case once again highlights the migratory crisis in the United States and the controversy surrounding ICE's family detention centers.