Judge Denies Asylum for 5-Year-Old and Family, Orders Deportation

An immigration judge has denied the asylum claims of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, ordering them deported to Ecuador, according to the family's attorneys. The decision, issued by U.S. Immigration Judge John Burns, came without a hearing on the merits of their case, prompting an immediate appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

The ruling affects Liam, his father Adrian Conejo Arias, his mother Erika Ramos—who is pregnant—and his 13-year-old brother. Attorneys Danielle Molliver and Paschal Nwokocha, representing the family through Nwokocha Operana Law Offices, expressed deep disappointment. "We're just gravely disappointed in the judge's misguided decision," Molliver said. "We're committed to the family and we'll fight the appeal, obviously, the best that we can." Nwokocha added that the family had not had the opportunity to present their story in court, criticizing the government's push to expedite removal. The appeal process could take months or even years, during which the family remains in the United States.

Liam and his father were detained on January 20 in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, shortly after returning home from the boy's...