A 5-year-old boy who became a viral symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is back home after he and his father were released from an immigration facility in Texas on Saturday.
Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, on Jan. 20 after they encountered immigration agents upon returning home from Liam’s preschool in Minnesota. The case drew widespread condemnation and international headlines as the image of Liam in his blue hat and Spider-Man backpack spread online.
The father and son were transferred to a facility in Texas, where congressional representatives were able to make a visit to check on them.
Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas wrote in a post on X on Sunday that he picked up the father and son on Saturday night and escorted them back to Minnesota on Sunday morning.
“Liam is now home,” Castro said. “With his hat and his backpack. Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We won’t stop until all children and families are home.”
More on Minnesota:
- A family in hiding: From a missed graduation ceremony to daily anxiety about walking their dog, one Minnesota family recounts their ever-present fear of being deported as immigration agents flood their city.
- Call and response: President Donald Trump said that federal law enforcement will not respond to protests or riots in “poorly run” Democratic-led cities until “they ask us for help,” but will still protect federal property.
- Judge OKs raids — for now: A federal judge allowed Operation Metro Surge, the sweeping federal immigration enforcement action in Minnesota, to continue while a broader legal challenge plays out.
‘Meet the Press’
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on Sunday called on House Democrats to vote against a measure that would reopen parts of the federal government Monday, saying a vote in favor would support the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I’m a firm no, and I’m going to advocate with colleagues that they vote no,” Khanna told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” adding, “I just don’t see how, in good conscience, Democrats can vote for continuing ICE funding when they’re killing American citizens.”
Several federal agencies entered a partial government shutdown on Saturday, days after Trump and Senate Democrats reached a deal to avert an extended government shutdown.
The House is expected to vote to reopen the government on Monday, barring any unexpected delays that could extend the shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed confidence that members of his party would vote to pass the Senate-approved bill this week after lawmakers return to Washington.
“I’m confident that we’ll do it, at least by Tuesday,” he told moderator Kristen Welker, projecting confidence that every Republican lawmaker would vote in favor of the measure.
Why documenting the American Revolution makes Ken Burns ‘optimistic’ about the country’s future
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, documentary filmmaker and historian Ken Burns appeared on “Meet the Press” to discuss how the bloody realities of the American Revolution have resulted in unexpected lessons that still apply.
“I think we have sanitized the war,” Burns told Welker. “And I think it’s out of an understandable fear that if somehow we reveal how dark and bloody it is, that it will somehow diminish those big ideas in Philadelphia in ’76.”
In a six-part documentary titled “The American Revolution,” Burns dissects America’s origin story and argues why democracy was an “unintended consequence.”
“The idea was to create a kind of aristocracy of these white, male property owners. But in order to win this revolution, other people are going to fight,” he said. “The Continental Army, at the end, is filled with teenagers, ne’er-do-wells, felons hoping for a pardon, recent immigrants, people who don’t have property, second and third sons. And they fight the revolution, and they’re going to need something at the end. So what they get is democracy.”
Politics in brief
- Springing forward: The Democratic Party took a small step toward setting its 2028 presidential primary calendar, telling a dozen state parties they can formally present bids to hold nominating contests at the beginning of the process.
- A Texas special: Former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee won a special election for a vacant, deep-blue House seat in Texas that has been vacant since Rep. Sylvester Turner died almost a year ago.
- Saga in the Peach State: Six years after Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election results, that campaign is still shaping Georgia’s next big vote.
- ‘We’ll find out’: Trump said if Iran does not make a deal regarding its nuclear program, “we’ll find out” whether Iran’s supreme leader was correct to predict that a U.S. attack on the country would spark a regional war.
How a trans woman’s removal from a restroom tore apart the world of competitive pinball
Competitive pinball is a surprisingly intense sport with an inclusive culture, a niche pursuit that has long been safe from the spotlight — and from national politics. Then, at a tournament in November, an arcade employee insisted that a transgender competitor couldn’t use the women’s bathroom. The incident — and how it was handled by the sport’s governing body, the International Flipper Pinball Association — tilted a friendly community into turmoil.
What makes this dispute unusual is that everyone, including the IFPA, agrees that trans women should be allowed to play. The division is over the aftermath of the bathroom incident and whether the trans people involved received enough support. It highlights the complexities that even the smallest and most inclusive sports organizations are struggling to navigate in a tense political climate.
Meet the four astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II moon mission
In just over a week, four astronauts could launch toward the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are set to fly on NASA’s Artemis II mission. The 10-day journey will take them on a path around the moon — and farther from Earth than humanity has ever gone.
“We’ve always looked at the moon and said, ‘We’ve been there.’ But for this whole generation, for our generation, for the younger generation, for the Artemis generation, they’re going to look at the moon now and go, ‘We are there,’” Wiseman said.
The 68th Grammy Awards
Music’s biggest night is here, and comedian Trevor Noah will return to host for a sixth and final time.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with nine nominations, but eyes will also be on Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter, who all got multiple nods. Expect to see star performances, including a special segment in which all eight best new artist nominees will take the stage. NBC News is covering it all.
Notable quote
Like with any queer content, it’s a Russian roulette. It may be OK or you may be fined or go to jail. That’s what’s so scary.
A 22-year-old russian who is part of the Lgbtq community
Russian fans of “Heated Rivalry” could end up in prison if they publicly declare their love for the show, but that hasn’t stopped the gay romance about two hockey players from becoming a word-of-mouth hit — and some are subtly displaying their affection.
In case you missed it
- At least two people died in a weekend snowstorm that unleashed record-setting snowfall on North Carolina and freezing temperatures on Florida.
- Demond Wilson, who was known to television watchers as Lamont from the 1970s sitcom “Sanford and Son,” died at 79
- Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers was suspended 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program, the league announced.
- Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest men’s player to complete a career Grand Slam after securing the Australian Open title against Novak Djokovic. Elena Rybakina produced a thunderous display to dismantle Aryna Sabalenka and win the women’s singles title.
