Judge Denies Asylum for Family of 5-Year-Old Detained in Minnesota
Immigration judge John Burns denied the Ramos family's asylum and ordered deportation to Ecuador while their appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals is pending.
CNNJudge denies asylum claim of family of Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old boy taken by ICE with his father in Minnesota, lawyer says | CNN
Salon"Heartbreaking": Judge denies asylum claim for Liam Conejo Ramos, family
Breitbart NewsJudge Denies Asylum for Family of Child Media Claimed ICE 'Arrested'
Associated PressAsylum claim denied for the family of the boy in a bunny hat detained with his father, lawyer says
El PaisJudge denies asylum request from Liam Conejo Ramos’ family, paving the way for their deportation
Overview
An immigration judge, John Burns, denied the asylum claim of Liam Conejo Ramos's family and ordered them deported to Ecuador, a family lawyer said.
They were detained on January 20 and held for 10 days at a Texas detention center before a judge ordered their release, family lawyers said.
Family attorneys, including Danielle Molliver and Paschal Nwokocha, called the decision misguided and said the family will appeal, while the Columbia Heights school district called the ruling heartbreaking.
The government said the father, Adrian Conejo Arias, entered the United States in December 2024, while the family’s lawyers say he sought asylum upon entry; the family is from Ecuador.
The family’s appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals is pending and, while it is adjudicated, the family can remain in the United States, lawyers said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this story neutrally, laying out competing claims and attributing strong language to specific actors. They quote the family’s lawyer and note the DHS rebuttal calling the “bait” allegation an “abject lie,” report officials’ timeline, and provide context about protests and the legal appeal without editorializing.
FAQ
Judge John Burns has a very high asylum denial rate, denying 92.6% of 544 asylum claims from FY 2019-2024 and 96.1% from FY 2020-2025, compared to national averages of 57.7-58.9%.[1]
The family's appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals is pending, allowing them to stay in the United States while it is adjudicated.[story]
The family was detained on January 20, held for 10 days in a Texas detention center, then released. The father entered the US in December 2024; government says illegally, lawyers say seeking asylum. They are from Ecuador.[story]
Lawyers Danielle Molliver and Paschal Nwokocha called the decision misguided and plan to appeal. The Columbia Heights school district called it heartbreaking.[story]
Judge Burns has been reported to use AI to generate audio of his court decisions, and his extremely low asylum grant rate (around 2-7%) raises concerns compared to peers and national averages.
