Democrat lawmakers and community leaders plan to call for the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father from the Dilley ICE detention center on Wednesday.
SAN ANTONIO — Saturday’s protest staged by detained migrants at an ICE facility in Dilley has sparked renewed attention on immigration enforcement practices nationwide.
Dozens of migrant families, including parents with kids, gathered within the confines of the South Texas Family Residential Center, demanding freedom and voicing opposition to federal immigration tactics.
Drone video captured families standing together, holding signs and chanting “Libertad” (Freedom).
The demonstration came in response to growing public attention surrounding 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were taken into ICE custody in Minnesota this month then transferred to the Dilley detention center.
On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked federal immigration officials from deporting Ramos and his father. Earlier reporting by CBS indicated the government could not immediately deport the father and son because they have pending immigration court cases.
Laura Flores-Dixit, managing attorney with the nonprofit, American Gateways, said the public reaction to Liam’s case stems from how deeply it resonates with parents across the country.
“His image rocked everybody I think because everybody can see his innocence in that picture wearing his stitch hat. Any parent can see their child in Liam,” Flores-Dixit said.
Flores-Dixit noted while Liam’s case has gained national attention, it reflects a broader pattern within the immigration system. She wasn’t surprised by the detained migrants standing up to federal authorities in Dilley.
“We’re talking about some of the strongest people that I have ever met who have endured terrible persecution in their countries, incredible journeys just to make it here,” Flores-Dixit said. “What happened to Liam happened very publicly. But it happens on a daily basis in the shadows of immigration courts nationwide.”
On Wednesday, Flores-Dixit is expected to join elected officials and community leaders calling for Liam’s release, while also urging federal authorities to adopt more humane enforcement practices. In the morning, Congressman Joaquin Castro will tour the facility alongside Rep. Jasmine Crockett, meeting with Ramos and his father.
“Our biggest messages are that there is a way to implement one’s immigration laws without being cruel and what is happening in our nation is cruelty,” Flores-Dixit said.
For local pastor Diane Garcia, the ramped up ICE activity hits home.
“We have had families in our congregation detained there with their children,” Garcia said. “One of them was only three.”
Garcia said increased immigration enforcement, from Minnesota to South Texas, has sparked a growing sense of unity among community members advocating for change, whether it’s immigration enforcement strategies or improving conditions at detention centers.
“We really are seeing the community come together,” she said, “and be united in saying that we believe in humanity and we believe in justice.”