‘mommy, Open The Door’: Mother Recounts Her Terror As Her 5-year-old Was Taken By Ice

The mother of a 5-year-old boy who was taken pinch his begetter successful Minnesota past week described her anguish arsenic she watched from a model arsenic migration agents whisked her kid and partner away.

Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, were returning from Liam’s preschool connected Jan. 20 erstwhile they were confronted by migration agents, according to Zena Stenvik, nan superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools. A schoolhouse committee personnel who witnessed nan father’s apprehension said past week that she heard an big wrong nan location pleading pinch agents to time off nan child.

Erika Ramos, Liam’s mother, told Telemundo successful Spanish that she “witnessed nan segment from nan model and couldn’t do anything. Adrián begged maine many times not to spell extracurricular because he was acrophobic they would apprehension maine too.”

Ramos said nan migration officers noticed her, took Liam retired of their car and brought him to nan beforehand doorway truthful she would unfastened it.

“They knocked and knocked, and my boy Liam kept saying, ‘Mommy, unfastened nan door.’ I was terrified,” she said while sobbing.

She said she didn’t unfastened nan doorway retired of fearfulness she would beryllium arrested and her different kid would beryllium near alone.

“When I didn’t unfastened nan door, they took Liam to nan ICE van. It each seemed for illustration an effort to free me, to provoke me, arsenic if they wanted maine to tally retired desperately for my boy truthful they could apprehension maine arsenic well,” she told Telemundo.

“They utilized my boy arsenic bait. Even so, my hubby desperately insisted that I not spell out, particularly because we person different kid and I americium pregnant,” she said. “His only volition was to protect us, for illustration immoderate responsible hubby and father.”

The Department of Homeland Security said successful a connection Friday that nan child’s begetter fled from agents who approached his car, leaving Liam.

“For nan child’s safety, 1 of our ICE officers remained pinch nan kid while nan different officers apprehended Conejo Arias,” DHS said.

Ramos denied DHS’ allegations, saying, “I repeat, astatine nary constituent did my hubby do what they’re saying, wantonness my son. No, astatine nary constituent did he do that.”

The agency said Liam’s mother refused officers’ attempts to person her return custody of nan boy. His begetter agreed to support Liam successful his care, DHS said.

Both Liam and his begetter were moved from Minnesota to Texas, and nan restraining bid says they are successful nan Dilley Immigration Processing Center.

Ramos said she is worried astir her son’s health. She said she had spoken pinch her hubby and he told her Liam has been sick.

“He says he has a fever, he has a stomachache, he has diarrhea,” she said, her sound breaking.

She besides said her hubby told her he and Liam weren’t being fixed medicine.

On Thursday, nan Trump management said a pediatrician has examined Liam “and recovered nary aesculapian concerns.”

“It is modular argumentation to supply aesculapian attraction from nan infinitesimal an alien enters ICE custody,” Dr. Sean Conley, nan acting head of nan Office of Health Security, DHS’ nationalist wellness authority, said successful a connection shared connected X by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

“This includes medical, dental, and intelligence wellness intake screening wrong 12 hours of arriving astatine each detention facility, a afloat wellness appraisal wrong 14 days of entering ICE custody aliases presence astatine a facility, and entree to basal aesculapian appointments and 24-hour emergency care,” Conley said successful nan statement.

Ramos said neither she nor her hubby person a criminal grounds and that nan 2 entered nan state legally nether nan Biden administration’s CBP One program, which was later undone by nan Trump administration.

Ramos said she would inquire nan authorities “to springiness them backmost to me,” referring to her hubby and son.

“Please merchandise them,” she said.

On Tuesday, a national judge issued a impermanent restraining bid blocking nan Trump management from removing Liam from nan country.

Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas said he visited Liam and his begetter astatine nan detention halfway connected Wednesday.

“I demanded his merchandise and told him really overmuch his family, his school, and our state loves him and is praying for him,” he said connected societal media.

Tuesday’s bid prevents them from being removed aliases transferred extracurricular nan District of Western Texas pending a further directive from nan court.

The lawsuit has drawn scrutiny from critics who person accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement of utilizing children arsenic “bait.”

The agency has defended its actions.

“Our officers made aggregate attempts to get nan alleged mother who was wrong nan location to return custody of her child,” nan agency said. “Officers moreover assured her she would NOT beryllium taken her into custody. The alleged mother refused to judge custody of nan child.”