The Texas judge had temporarily blocked the removal of the boy and his father from the district in Texas pending the habeas case challenging their detention.
People protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they march toward the South Texas Family Residential Center, January 28, 2026 in Dilley, Texas.
Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images
In the order releasing Liam and his father, Biery said 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. »
« Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency, » the judge wrote. « And the rule of law be damned. »
Top ICE official accuses father of detained 5-year-old of ‘abandoning his child’
Judge Biery said that the father and son ultimately may « return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation, » but added that it should be a result « through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place. »
The judge concluded his opinion with a photo of the five-year-old when he was detained.
The superintendent of the school district attended by Liam has spoken with the family, according to a statement from the district.
« Columbia Heights Public Schools is so happy to hear the announcement that Liam and his father will be released and returned home, » the district said. « We want all children to be released from detention centers and the reunification of families who have been unjustly separated. »
