Topics: US News, Mental Health, News, Politics, Parenting
The parents of Liam Conejo Ramos have claimed that the five-year-old 'is very different' after being detained by ICE in January.
For those who aren't up to date with the story, the little boy was seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while on his way home from school in Minneapolis, on 20 January.
He was making his way up his driveway when a group of agents approached, attempting to apprehend his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
The story quickly went viral, and outrage ensued after a photo of Liam wearing a bunny hat and a Spiderman backpack circulated online, prompting a response from the US Department of Homeland Security.
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At the time, Zena Stenvik, the Superintendent of Liam's school district, said that the father and son had been transported to South Texas Family Residential Centre in Dilley, Texas, having been accused of living in the United States illegally, and accused ICE agents of 'using a five-year-old as bait in order to see if anyone else was home'.
After the story and a photo of the child wearing a bunny hat and a Spiderman backpack went viral, the US Department of Homeland Security claimed that ICE 'did not target a child', and instead argued that Liam had been 'abandoned' by his father, an alleged 'illegal alien'.
Liam and his father, who is from Ecuador, were held in custody for 10 days in the Texas detention center before US District Judge Fred Biery granted an emergency request from the family's lawyer in February.
Now, the five-year-old's parents have sat down with CBS News for a new interview, published on Monday (6 April).
His father said during the interview, in Spanish, that his son is regularly seeing a psychologist, however this hasn't fully put their minds at ease.
He explained: "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. It does worry us that this will not heal quickly."
Liam's mother, Erika Ramos, heartbreakingly revealed that Liam has been showing signs of psychological trauma, including hypervigilance and isolation.
She said, "My boy is very different. He sees police officers, and he says, 'It's ICE, Mommy.'"
Getting emotional about the time that her husband and child were in custody, she added: "The most difficult thing was I couldn't do anything. My desperation was to go and get them out, because I really did not understand why."
Erika claimed that Liam is more prone to behaving badly, and in school, he no longer wants to go to certain classes or play with the other children.
ICE also initially claimed that Liam's father abandoned him as he tried to evade capture - something the father has categorically denied.
He said: "It's not true what people are saying. I never did and never would."
As per CBS News, the US federal government has continued to try to deport the family and recently terminated their asylum case, while appealing the federal court order that allowed Liam and his dad to be released from ICE custody.
Last month, the news broke that the family had been ordered to be deported to Ecuador, as reported by The Independent.
Attorney Danielle Molliver told Minnesota Public Radio that they're appealing the 'disappointing' ruling to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
Tyla has contacted the White House and ICE for comment.
