A Texas federal court has ordered the release of a father and son from Ecuador who were illegally detained by immigration agents during a crackdown in Minneapolis. The case sparked a debate about the cruelty of US deportation policies.
A federal court in the US state of Texas on Saturday ordered the release of Ecuadorian Adrian Cone Arias and his five-year-old son Liam, who were detained by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a raid in Minneapolis. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
“The case originates from a poorly conceived and incompetently implemented effort by the government to fulfill daily quotas of deportations, even when it apparently requires traumatizing children,” Judge Fred Biery wrote in the decision.
The preschool-aged boy, as well as his father, entered the United States legally and are currently seeking asylum. Both were detained by immigration authorities in their own driveways this month. A photo of Liam Cone Ramos wearing a light blue hat with bunny ears and a briefcase surrounded by ICE agents quickly went viral in the US.
“Ultimately, because of the complex US immigration system, applicants may return to their home country, involuntarily or through self-deportation. However, this outcome should be achieved through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place,” the judge added.
