A federal court order freeing 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father has set social media alight—not just for its blistering language excoriating federal authorities, but for a glaring error at the very bottom of the ruling: dated “February 31, 2026.”
The impossible date quickly caught the attention of readers online, who pointed out that February 31 does not exist. But the typo appears in an otherwise-searing opinion in which U.S. District Judge Fred Biery lashed the government for what he calls an “ill‑conceived and incompetently‑implemented” enforcement operation that resulted in the detention of a preschooler.
Why It Matters
The order is among the most-scathing rebukes to emerge from the federal judiciary during the recent enforcement surge. Biery wrote that the case “has its genesis in the ill‑conceived and incompetently‑implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.”
Biery went on to lecture federal officials on the Declaration of Independence, quoting Thomas Jefferson’s complaints about “Swarms of Officers to harass our People” and “Standing Armies”—warning that “We the people are hearing echoes of that history.”
Biery said that ICE relied on administrative warrants—issued by an agency to itself—which he says fail the basic constitutional test: “That is called the fox guarding the henhouse.”
His conclusion was, “The Constitution of these United States trumps this administration’s detention” of Liam and his father.
It is against this backdrop that the typo jumped out to readers.
What To Know
Liam and his father were arrested during a federal immigration operation in the Minneapolis area after the 5‑year‑old arrived home from preschool. School officials said agents took the child from a running car and instructed him to knock on the family’s door, describing the incident as using a child “as bait.”
The pair were transported 1,300 miles to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, where they were held until the court intervened.
Biery found that the government’s actions violated fundamental constitutional protections. He argued that ICE relied on administrative warrants “issued by the executive branch to itself,” calling it “the fox guarding the henhouse” and stating plainly that the Fourth Amendment requires an independent judicial officer.
Biery anchored his ruling in Ex parte Bollman, Blackstone’s Commentaries, Magna Carta, and the Declaration of Independence—and closed with Benjamin Franklin’s warning: “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Then, the typo appeared. At the very bottom of the order the line read: “SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026.”
Social media users immediately seized on the mistake. “This is dated February 31. Today is January 31,” said one comment on X. Another read: “Why is it dated February 31st?”
The court header shows the document was actually filed January 31, 2026, suggesting the closing date was simply an uncorrected clerical error.
What People Are Saying
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously told Newsweek: “ICE did NOT target a child. On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration. As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement. Parents can take control of their departure and receive a free flight and $2,600 with the CBP Home app. By using the CBP Home app illegal aliens reserve the chance to come back the right legal way.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minnesota’s affiliate of the Democratic Party, said on X: “Welcome home, Liam. A 5-year-old should be in school and with family—not in detention. I’m relieved he and his father are finally headed back to Minnesota. Now ICE needs to leave.”
Columbia Heights Public Schools wrote on Facebook: “Liam’s release is an important development, and we hope it will lead to positive developments for other families as well, including our other four students who are being held at the Dilley facility in Texas. We want all children to be released from detention centers and hope for the reunification of families who have been unjustly separated.”
What Happens Next
The ruling requires that Liam and his father remain released under conditions no more restrictive than those before their detention while their immigration case continues.
Biery said they may ultimately face removal but added that any outcome should occur “through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place.”
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
