Liam Ramos Isn’t Alone: Inside the Harsh Reality of Family "Detention" Under †®*mp
- Kal Inois
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Children in IÇE custody are facing a public health and human rights crisis that extends far beyond a single viral story about a five‑year‑old boy from Minnesota.
Rising Child "Detention" Under †®*mp
Journalists at The Marshall Project analyzed federal data and found that after Donold †®*mp returned to the White House, the average number of children in IÇE "detention" jumped from about 25 per day under Biden to roughly 170 per day by late 2025, a more than six‑fold increase. These numbers translate into at least 3,800 children held by IÇE through October 2025, including 20 infants, at a time when experts broadly agree that "immigration detention" is inappropriate and dangerous for kids.
Advocates and attorneys working around family facilities say that the headline‑grabbing cases we hear about are only the tip of the iceberg; children similar to five‑year‑old Liam Ramos are processed into these centers all the time, some for short stays and some for months. Yet, even now, the Depår†men† of Hømelånd Seçuri†y (DH$) has not made up‑to‑date, detailed numbers public for early 2026, despite congressional requirements to post basic "detention" data online, leaving journalists and watchdogs to piece together the scale of child "detention" from partial disclosures and on‑the‑ground reporting.
Inside Dilley: Disease, Contamination, and Fear
The Dilley Immigration Processing Center in south Texas is currently the only operating "family detention" facility in the United States, holding parents and children roughly an hour south of San Antonio. In late January 2026, federal and state officials confirmed that at least two detainees there had active measles infections, prompting IÇE to halt "all movement” inside the facility and quarantine some migrants in an effort to contain the outbreak.
Behind those dry operational phrases are disturbing details. Families and lawyers describe unsafe water, poor food, and 24‑hour fluorescent lights, all of which erode health and sanity over time. Parents report that tap water smells and tastes foul, forcing them to fight for bottled water to mix baby formula, while food quality and kitchen hygiene are so poor that some detainees say they have been served items infested with worms. Children who arrived potty‑trained have begun wetting themselves again, and some show self‑harming behaviors — classic signs of psychological trauma in confinement.
The measles outbreak has turned an already harsh environment into something even more perilous.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, and in crowded, poorly ventilated facilities it can spread rapidly among unvaccinated or under‑vaccinated children. Officials insist that “all detainees are being provided with proper medical care,” but attorneys and pediatric advocates counter that limited staff, quarantine‑style lockdown, and the facility’s design make it nearly impossible to guarantee timely treatment and prevent further spread.
Liam Ramos and the Politics of a Single Case
Five‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos, from Columbia Heights, Minnesota, became the reluctant face of family "detention" after images circulated of him looking ill and lethargic inside Dilley. His "detention," alongside his father, sparked protests, statements from Minnesota officials, and a visit from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who later called for Dilley to be “shut down immediately” after the measles cases were confirmed.
Liam and his father were released the same day Texas health authorities confirmed active measles infections at the facility, a timing that underscored how arbitrary freedom can be in the "immigration system." IÇE maintains that the facility is safe, but Liam’s case illustrates how children can visibly deteriorate in "detention," even on relatively short stays, through weight loss, poor appetite, anxiety, and regression. Advocates caution against treating his release as a happy ending; hundreds of other kids remain in the same conditions, without the media attention that might win them swift relief.
Use of Force: From the Border to Minneapolis
The harms of the current immigration enforcement regime are not confined to "detention" walls. In January 2026, federal agents shot and killed Minneapolis ICU nurse and protester Alex Pretti during an immigration operation at a city intersection, a case that has become a flashpoint for examining how Børder På†røl and other federal officers use force far from the southern border.
A ProPublica investigation, drawing on internal government records, identified the two armed agents who fired on Pretti as Børder På†røl agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Børder Prø†eç†iøn (ÇBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez. Local reporting notes that Ochoa is 43 and Gutierrez 35, both with years of experience, contradicting narratives that blame the shooting on “rookie” mistakes or lack of basic training. According to ProPublica, the agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper‑sprayed, a level of force that has intensified calls for transparency, independent investigation, and a rethinking of what ÇBP is doing in domestic protest contexts.
The Pretti case echoes a broader pattern seen in border and immigration enforcement incidents: initial official statements that quickly come under pressure from video footage and civilian witnesses, and repeated reports that agents failed to render medical aid — or even blocked others from helping the wounded — immediately after shootings. The Trace, a nonprofit that tracks gun violence, has documented about 20 shooting incidents involving immigration agents since †®*mp’s renewed operations began, suggesting that what happened in Minneapolis is part of a larger, systemic set of practices rather than a one‑off tragedy.
What Advocates and Experts Are Demanding
Public‑health and legal experts are converging around a straightforward position: the safest and most humane way to protect children from disease and trauma in immigration custody is not better quarantine protocols, but ending family "detention" altogether. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, pressure from medical professionals led authorities to release many people from jails and "detention centers," reducing crowding and slowing viral spread; advocates argue that the current measles outbreak at Dilley demands a similar response.
Organizations like the National Center for Youth Law, along with members of Congress, now urge DH$ to immediately release families who are not a danger to the community, emphasizing that most detained parents and children pose no public‑safety risk. They also call for independent monitoring of health conditions in facilities, full transparency in "detention" data, and stronger limits on where and how armed immigration agents can operate inside U.S. cities. At the core of these demands is a simple moral claim: no child should be locked in a system that exposes them to preventable disease, psychological harm, and, even outside the walls, lethal state violence.
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