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U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D–San Antonio) said 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos appeared to be recovering and “in much better shape” after the child was released from federal immigration custody over the weekend, as newly confirmed measles cases at the Dilley family detention facility prompted a quarantine and forced Castro to cancel a planned return visit.
In a Monday livestream, Castro described escorting Liam and his father out of the detention center Saturday night and working to stabilize the family before a flight back to the Minneapolis area the next morning. Castro said the boy told him he wanted French fries, prompting a stop at a McDonald’s in Pearsall.
“I wanted to make sure that we got him and his dad back to San Antonio and ready for the flight the next morning,” Castro said, adding that local residents donated clothing and pajamas for the child.
Castro contrasted Liam’s condition during the release trip with what he said he observed during an earlier visit to the detention center, when the child “did not look like he was in good shape.” On the flight home, Castro said, the boy was “a lot more energetic and animated this time” and “just excited to get home.”
Castro also thanked the federal judge who ordered the pair released, saying the ruling sharply criticized the administration’s treatment of immigrant families and children.
Castro’s update came as state and federal officials confirmed at least two measles infections among detainees at the Dilley facility, leading immigration officials to halt movement inside the center and quarantine people believed to have been exposed.
Castro argued the outbreak underscores broader concerns about medical capacity and crowding in family detention.
“They should shut down the Dilley facility,” he said on the livestream, calling the measles situation “a threat” not only to families inside but also to employees and surrounding communities.
Federal officials said medical staff are monitoring detainees and that those inside are receiving care as mitigation efforts continue.
Castro’s office said a return inspection trip to Dilley later this week was canceled because of the measles situation. Castro told viewers he still plans to visit the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall on Friday instead.
In the livestream, Castro placed responsibility beyond the federal government, arguing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is “as much” responsible as President Donald Trump for the human consequences of aggressive immigration enforcement in Texas. Castro pointed to state policies requiring cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, including Texas’ so-called “sanctuary cities” law, Senate Bill 4.
Castro said Abbott should end mandatory cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and said the governor “should be held accountable” for what Castro characterized as abuses tied to immigration raids and detention practices.
