A federal judge ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, from a Texas family detention center. The judge cited two Gospel verses in his order, stating that the U.S. Constitution overrides the administration's detention of the father and son. The father and son, who are from Ecuador, were detained by immigration agents in a Minneapolis suburb after legally presenting themselves to Texas border offices in December 2024 to seek asylum. The judge's document included a picture of the child at the time of capture and criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. The family's lawyer argued that the pair followed all protocols, posed no safety or flight risk, and should not have been detained.
about 1 month ago
A five-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias from Ecuador, were detained by ICE agents on January 20, 2026, in Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb.1
The pair was apprehended as Liam returned home from preschool; they were then transferred to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas.1
The father and son had legally presented themselves at the Texas border in December 2024 to apply for asylum and were complying with court hearings.1
Their lawyer, Marc Prokosch, emphasized they posed no flight or safety risk and followed all protocols.1
U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered their release on January 31, 2026, via a writ of habeas corpus, stating the U.S. Constitution overrides the administration's detention practices.1
The order included a photo of Liam at the time of arrest, wearing a bunny hat and backpack.1
Biery cited two Gospel verses: Matthew 19:14 ("Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them") and John 11:35 ("Jesus wept").1
These underscored the judge's view on the trauma inflicted on the child.1
The judge condemned the Trump administration's "ill-conceived" pursuit of daily deportation quotas, even at the cost of traumatizing children.1
He invoked the Declaration of Independence's grievances against King George III, such as swarms of officers harassing people, and quoted the full Fourth Amendment on unreasonable searches.1
Biery ruled that administrative warrants issued by the executive branch lack probable cause, calling it "the fox guarding the henhouse."1
He advocated for orderly, humane processes over the current "arcane" immigration system.1
The case drew outrage, amplified by photos of Liam's detention and recent killings of U.S. citizens by immigration agents during Minneapolis protests.1
Protests occurred upon their return home on February 1, 2026.1
Examine Catholic teachings on justice versus state authority
Catholic teaching on justice emphasizes its divine origin and fulfillment in Christ, who is "the end of the law" and bestows God's justice. Justice is not merely a human construct but integral to human vocation in the Spirit, demanding solidarity, equity, and charity in social relations. This vision stands in tension yet harmony with state authority, which possesses legitimate power to promote the common good but is strictly limited, particularly in religious matters and must always serve justice rather than supplant it. The Church's social doctrine, as articulated in key encyclicals and conciliar documents, delineates the state's role as subsidiary—intervening where necessary for distributive justice while respecting human dignity and the Church's primacy in moral and spiritual spheres.
At the heart of Catholic social teaching lies a threefold obligation for justice: mutual solidarity among nations, rectification of inequitable trade relations, and universal charity to foster a humane world order. Pope Paul VI in Populorum Progressio underscores that wealthier nations bear primary responsibility, as the future of civilization hinges on addressing global disparities urgently. This extends to individuals and businesses operating in developing countries, who must prioritize social progress over self-interest, ensuring fair labor practices, skill development, and preparation of locals for leadership roles. Justice here demands legitimate contracts, protection from arbitrary power, and equitable treatment of subordinates.
The Church awakens awareness of this mission through bodies like the Pontifical Commission Justice and Peace, urging all people of good will to collaborate for integral human development. Echoing this, Centesimus Annus reaffirms the Church's duty to analyze social realities, judge them, and guide toward just resolutions, as pioneered by Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum. Workers possess a natural right to a just wage sufficient for family sustenance, transcending mere contractual freedom; the state has a "strict duty" to enforce this via distributive justice, condemning exploitative individualism. Such teachings portray justice not as optional but as essential to peace, built on rectifying economic and social imbalances.
While the state wields coercive power for the common good, Catholic doctrine firmly subordinates it to higher moral law. Christ fulfills and perfects the moral law, rendering any state claim to ultimate authority in justice illusory. The state's role is instrumental: independent from the Church in its sphere yet devoted to serving human persons, fostering collaboration marked by mutual respect. Pope Paul VI assured African leaders that the Church engages civil life without temporal ambitions, training citizens for the public good while prioritizing the poor, education, and peace—rendering to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.
A pivotal distinction emerges in religious matters: the state lacks inherent authority to coerce belief or practice, a teaching continuous with Leo XIII's Immortale Dei. Pre-conciliar endorsements of state involvement in religious enforcement derived not from natural law on state power but from the Church's own authority, obligating baptized rulers to aid her mission. Vatican II's Dignitatis Humanae reforms policy by refusing further state coercion on the Church's behalf, affirming individuals' moral right against religious coercion by civic powers—without altering doctrine on the Church's jurisdiction over the baptized. Thus, state authority is circumscribed; it cannot encroach on faith or morals, where the Church holds supremacy.
The Church and state operate in distinct yet complementary domains, both oriented toward human flourishing. Gaudium et Spes highlights the "dramatic" human condition—marked by finitude, internal division, and social strife—amid rapid change, polarization, and threats of slavery over freedom. The Church offers Christ's light to navigate these, urging perfection of the temporal order without despair or illusion. Political accords, like those between the Holy See and Croatia, exemplify fruitful partnership when grounded in reciprocal understanding.
In economic spheres, the state must intervene against injustices like unfair wages or poor conditions, upholding international norms and internal laws. Yet, as Centesimus Annus warns, ideologies discrediting genuine solutions underscore the Gospel's indispensability; the Church's social doctrine provides moral perspective for "new things." This doctrine unites amid conflicts, preserving human dignity.
Catholic teaching critiques overreach, whether in unbridled capitalism or statist excess, insisting justice demands subsidiarity—authority at the lowest effective level. Businesses in developing nations must initiate progress ethically, while states ensure welfare without violating freedom. The Church's evangelizing mission integrates social doctrine, preparing for new evangelization amid global challenges.
In summary, Catholic teachings position justice as transcendent, fulfilled in Christ and demanding solidarity, equity, and charity. State authority, legitimate yet limited, serves this end—promoting economic fairness and common good while deferring to the Church in faith and morals. This balance fosters true peace, urging collaboration without confusion of spheres, ever oriented toward integral human development.