SAN ANTONIO – Earlier Wednesday, Texas lawmakers and community advocates traveled to Dilley, where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father are being held at a family detention facility.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and other state Democratic lawmakers, including fellow U.S. Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Greg Casar, spoke at a Wednesday afternoon news conference in San Antonio to call on the Department of Homeland Security to release Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander.
Earlier Wednesday, Castro met with Ramos and Alexander. Ramos and Alexander were detained last week in Minnesota in an incident that further inflamed divisions on immigration under the Trump administration.
“Liam Ramos should be released immediately,” Castro said at City Hall.
Castro said he met with Ramos and Alexander for approximately a half-hour. Quoting Ramos’ father, Castro said the 5-year-old was “very depressed” and “hasn’t been eating well” since he was detained in Dilley.
“I told him that we would do everything we could to get him out of there,” Castro said.
The congressman reminded the crowd that Ramos and his family “came to the United States legally” and that those detained in Dilley are not “criminals” before making an appeal to U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller.
“If you’re going to be an architect of this kind of viciousness and brutality and inhumanity, then you (Miller) should have the guts to go to these facilities like Dilley and sit face-to-face (and) eye-to-eye with these kids and tell them why you believe they belong there,” Castro said.
Crockett also visited the facility in Dilley. She also shared her concerns for the children detained there.
“You have so many mothers in this facility,” Crockett said. “They didn’t care about themselves. I’m going to be perfectly honest. They were concerned about their children.”
Watch the news conference in the below video player.
Community leaders, faith representatives and other elected officials such as State Reps. Gina Hinojosa, Trey Martinez Fischer and Diego Bernal also spoke at City Hall.
A vigil and march to the facility also took place earlier Wednesday morning.
Following the Wednesday afternoon news conference, Castro, Crockett, Casar and other state Democratic lawmakers held a “Stand for Humanity” rally at Progreso Hall to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar and former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg also spoke during the rally.
During the rally, Sakai emphasized his commitment to protecting the U.S. Constitution and advocating for children and families in Bexar County.
“Remember that you have the power, that we cannot be silent, that we will not tolerate, we will not hide,“ Sakai said. ”We will stand up and fight for those children.”
Nirenberg began his speech by saying that neighbors who traveled to Dilley to show support were met with tear gas from ICE, calling the response “wrong.”
“We’re all residents of this beautiful city,“ Nirenberg said. ”To have our neighbors come to a press conference to tell us that they went down to Dilley to show a little humanity from San Antonio, and they got tear gassed by ICE in return. That’s wrong.”
While Salazar spoke, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community and reminded residents of their legal rights.
“We have the right to remain silent, so if and when you are ever approached, you have the right to remain silent,” Salazar said. “Absolutely, you don’t have to make any statement oral or written to anybody have y’all heard those words before? Well, we have those rights, and I’d suggest you use it.”
Watch the full rally in the video player below:
DPS: 2 protesters arrested, hit with tear gas in Dilley
Earlier Wednesday, Castro said the facility was on lockdown Wednesday to prevent protests. In a Wednesday evening statement to KSAT, an ICE spokesperson denied Castro’s claim that the facility was on lockdown and that ICE would “never” deny medical care to immigrants.
Dozens of people from organizations across Texas gathered outside the facility before marching, an event organizer said.
Immigration attorney Eric Lee commented on the lockdown conditions to KSAT.
“The facility is on a form of lockdown, where detained children are not allowed to leave their rooms, and they’re not allowed to go to medical appointments,” said Lee.
Protesters chanted several different phrases in front of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers.
The phrases included “I believe that we will win,” “The people united will never be divided,” “Bring them home,” and “Free the children.”
As the protest continued, DPS troopers arrived, with some wearing riot gear. Shortly after, two protesters were arrested.
Robert David Padgett and Gavin Austin Pope were taken into custody and are charged with interference with public duties. Padgett was also charged with resisting arrest.
Several other protesters came into contact with tear gas, which prompted treatment on the scene.
KSAT reached out to Gov. Greg Abbott, who referred the inquiry to DPS.
In a Wednesday evening statement, DPS told KSAT its troopers were present near the facility “at the request of the City of Dilley.”
“During today’s response, after dispersal orders were given, approximately 150 demonstrators refused to leave and began to breach the established protest barrier and spit on officers,” DPS’ statement said, in part. “Despite continued orders to disperse, the group remained and DPS took less-lethal action, deploying pepper ball grenades and pepper ball projectiles to ensure officer safety and maintain order. DPS personnel arrested two individuals on various charges, including resisting arrest and interfering with public duties.”
Some Texas Republican lawmakers also released their own statements to KSAT on Wednesday.
In his statement before the protest, U.S. Senator John Cornyn said he believes people detained in the facility “are treated humanely.”
“But, like I said, we can always do better,” Cornyn said.
Fellow U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz said she supports “law enforcement officers who enforce rules” but also hopes they find “common sense solutions” to “support immigrant workers who want to pursue the American Dream.”
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales has yet to respond to KSAT’s inquiry.
MAP OF MARCH ROUTE
Update: Confirmed visit set with Liam Conejo Ramos and his Dad at Dilley Detention Center tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/jU9AEjYlUd
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 27, 2026
KSAT has previously reported on immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission who, after appearing for scheduled immigration court hearings, were immediately detained outside the courthouse by ICE officers.
In May 2025, ICE told KSAT 12 that officers have the authority to arrest immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission, even outside of court hearings.
Lawsuit alleges unsafe conditions at Dilley detention center
The press release said attorneys and advocates have raised alarms about allegations of unsafe conditions at the Dilley family detention center.
Eric Lee, partner at Lee & Godshall-Bennett LLP, will read a letter from a child currently detained at Dilley during the news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Last year, KSAT Investigates reported on a lawsuit alleging inhuman conditions inside the facility, including issues with food, water and medical care.
Immigration attorneys with clients in the facility told KSAT last week that it has not changed.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) said he was blocked from inspecting the Dilley detention center last week, but met with recent detainees and “heard about inhumane conditions within the facility.”
Last Friday, Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district includes the Dilley center, said he has seen the “state-of-the-art facilities” himself.
“I’ve been there & seen the state-of-the-art facilities & protocols that (ICE) follows,” Gonzales, a Republican, said in the X post. “Our ICE agents & CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) personnel are doing their jobs.”
KSAT has reached out to Gonzales for an interview. He has not yet responded to our request.
KSAT also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security four times to ask about the recent protest at Dilley this past Saturday and the allegations of inhumane conditions. A spokeswoman did not respond to our request by the deadline.
A DHS spokesperson recently told KSAT in a statement that ICE officers “are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults as cowardly politicians and activists encourage violence against them.”
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