Protesters at the Texas detention centre where a 5-year-old Ecuadoran boy is being held have clashed with law enforcement in a tense standoff that left one journalist temporarily incapacitated by tear gas.
About 100 protesters gathered outside the South Texas Family Residential Center, holding signs and chanting slogans against the US government's immigration clampdown. The crowd demanded the release of 1,100 others detained at the facility, including the young boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken from his home in Minneapolis by immigration officers using his father as a "bait" to apprehend him.
The protesters, led by local elected official Christina Morales, accused federal agents of terrorizing communities and called for action against Republican Governor Kristi Noem and the US Senate to defund ICE. The chants grew more agitated as Texas state law enforcement responded with riot gear, deploying tear gas cannisters that struck one AFP journalist, leaving them temporarily incapacitated.
Earlier in the day, Democratic congressmembers Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the facility to inspect the conditions under which the child was being held. The congressman said that Liam's father, Adrian Conejo Arias, had reported that his son had become depressed and sad after the traumatic event, and had not been himself since.
The national outcry over images of the terrified 5-year-old, who wore a fluffy blue bunny hat and carried his school backpack while being held by immigration officers, has led to a temporary block on their deportation. However, the protesters remain determined, demanding the release of all those held at the facility, including Liam's family.
"It's not about arresting illegal criminals," Castro said in a video message posted on X. "There are no criminals in Dilley. It's a case of human rights being ignored." The protest has highlighted the need for action against what many see as a policy of targeting and detaining asylum seekers, particularly children, under President Donald Trump's administration.
About 100 protesters gathered outside the South Texas Family Residential Center, holding signs and chanting slogans against the US government's immigration clampdown. The crowd demanded the release of 1,100 others detained at the facility, including the young boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken from his home in Minneapolis by immigration officers using his father as a "bait" to apprehend him.
The protesters, led by local elected official Christina Morales, accused federal agents of terrorizing communities and called for action against Republican Governor Kristi Noem and the US Senate to defund ICE. The chants grew more agitated as Texas state law enforcement responded with riot gear, deploying tear gas cannisters that struck one AFP journalist, leaving them temporarily incapacitated.
Earlier in the day, Democratic congressmembers Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited the facility to inspect the conditions under which the child was being held. The congressman said that Liam's father, Adrian Conejo Arias, had reported that his son had become depressed and sad after the traumatic event, and had not been himself since.
The national outcry over images of the terrified 5-year-old, who wore a fluffy blue bunny hat and carried his school backpack while being held by immigration officers, has led to a temporary block on their deportation. However, the protesters remain determined, demanding the release of all those held at the facility, including Liam's family.
"It's not about arresting illegal criminals," Castro said in a video message posted on X. "There are no criminals in Dilley. It's a case of human rights being ignored." The protest has highlighted the need for action against what many see as a policy of targeting and detaining asylum seekers, particularly children, under President Donald Trump's administration.
... Can't believe those kids are being held in these conditions 
. It's like, they're just trying to escape war or persecution, but instead of helping them, the system is making it worse 
. And now there's a whole national outcry, and still no action from the government? 
It's all about politics, right? But what about human rights? These kids are just innocent victims 
. We need to do something, like defund ICE and give asylum seekers a fair chance 
. And those politicians saying it's not about arresting criminals? Come on, that's just not true 
...
. The protesters are right to be angry, but some of their tactics can come across as aggressive too. I'm all for standing up against injustice, but we gotta be smart about it 
.
. The fact that this facility exists in the first place is a stain on our country's values 
.
I mean, can you even imagine having your kid taken away from you like that? 
. I'm just glad the congressmembers came to visit him before they deported him. I wonder what his school backpack is doing in there though... does ICE have a school supply budget now? 
he can't even be 5 years old yet and they're already traumatizing him 
this is so messed up - kids should never have to go through something like that, and it's not just the 5-year-old boy, but his whole family too... and what's even more crazy is how they were caught with his dad as bait 
I think it's super scary that a 5-year-old kid is being held in detention. It's like, what even is the point of holding kids? 
I love how congressmembers Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett are speaking out against this injustice. It's like, we have a responsibility to protect human rights, especially when it comes to kids! 
And what's up with the Republican Governor Kristi Noem? She should be all about helping people, not making their lives harder. 
. I mean, can you imagine having your child taken away from you like that? It's not just about the parents' rights, it's about the kids who are being ripped away from their families and put through trauma 
.
This is getting crazy 
. Those protesters are right to be angry and demanding action against ICE and the politicians who support them 
. It's sickening to think about a 5-year-old being treated like this 
.
The fact that one journalist got tear gassed by law enforcement is just another example of how far out of hand things are getting. We need to talk about this more...