NEW YORK, March 18 (Reuters) – An immigration judge has ended the asylum claim of the Ecuadorean boy who was detained during an immigration raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota \u200bPublic Radio reported on Wednesday, citing a lawyer for the boy \u200cand his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody at the age of five along with his father in late January and spent 10 days in a detention facility in Texas before \u200bboth of them were released and returned home. A photograph showing Liam \u200bin a blue bunny hat outside his house, with federal agents standing \u2060nearby, drew national attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. Immigration Judge John Burns issued the decision to end \u200bthe asylum claims of Liam and his family. Attorney Danielle Molliver who represents the \u200bfamily, told the station the decision would be appealed, a process that can take months, if not years. The lawyer did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The announcement that \u200ban immigration judge has ended the asylum claims of the family of Liam Conejo \u200bRamos is heartbreaking. We understand that this decision will be appealed and remain hopeful for a \u200cpositive \u2060outcome,” Columbia Heights Public Schools, a school district near Minneapolis where Liam studies, said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liam was detained during Operation Metro Surge, when President Donald Trump deployed about 3,000 armed immigration agents to deport migrants in Minnesota. On different days in January, \u200bimmigration agents fatally shot \u200btwo U.S. citizens \u2060in Minneapolis who had come out to protest or observe the agents. In a rare retreat, Trump ended the operation last \u200bmonth, leaving the city grappling with trauma and economic damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The detention \u200bin January \u2060of Liam and his father shed light on the harm caused by Operation Metro Surge, during which many children and families have been detained,” the school district said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“While we \u2060respect the \u200blegal process, we cannot ignore the profound human \u200bimpact\u2014especially on children\u2014of this federal action, which has disrupted the lives of so many of our community members \u200bwho entered this country through legal means.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the NYPD anticipating a reduction of $36 million, though the final award has not been issued yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n