Judge orders release of 5-year-old boy and father

A federal judge on Saturday ordered the release of a 5-year-old boy and his father from immigration custody, condemning their removal from their suburban Minneapolis neighbourhood as unconstitutional.

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The image of Liam Conejo Ramos, wearing a Spider-Man backpack and an oversize fluffy blue winter hat as he was detained by officers in January, spurred outrage at a moment when many were already incensed by the Trump administration's immigration tactics in Minnesota and elsewhere across the country. The flood of immigration enforcement officers into Minneapolis, known as Operation Metro Surge, has led to mass demonstrations as well as the shooting deaths of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.

In a blistering opinion ordering Liam's release, Judge Fred Biery of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas condemned "the perfidious lust for unbridled power" and "the imposition of cruelty."