‘Difficult to Watch’: CNN Shows Distressed Mother Speaking to 5-Year-Old Son Detained By ICE

CNN aired emotional video Saturday of a distressed mother speaking by phone to her five-year-old son, who was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement this week in Texas.

The boy, Liam Tadeo, was detained by ICE along with his dad Victor Martinez Nieto, Aug. 16 as the pair were heading to a soccer game. The child was set to start kindergarten this week in Austin, CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo reported.

CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield noted that comparisons have been drawn to the case of another 5-year-old detained by ICE in January, named Liam Conejo Ramos, who was wearing a blue bunny hat when he was taken in Minneapolis by authorities.

Liam Tadeo and his dad are in the country illegally.

Romo reported:

The five-year-old boy, identified by his family as Liam Tadeo, appears to be crying as he tried to hold the hand of his handcuffed father being escorted to an unmarked vehicle. According to family spokesperson Sara Garcia, Liam was getting ready to start kindergarten this week in Austin. She also said that both the father Victor Martinez Nieto and his son are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention.

The boy and his father are now being held at the Dilley Detention Center in Texas.

CNN affiliate Univision spoke with the mother of Liam, who chose not to be identified, and filmed a phone call she had with her detained-son.

“I love you so much and I miss you so much, my love,” the mother told Liam in Spanish. “Don’t despair, my love, okay?”

“Okay,” the boy said.

“I love you so, so much, my love,” the mother said.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Nieto had previously self-deported after he was arrested in 2025 and he then made his way back into the country. They also insisted children held at Dilley have access to teachers, classrooms, and books.

“Martinez Nieto and his son will remain together in ICE custody pending removal. DHS also said that the Dilley Detention Center is retrofitted for families and that children held there have access to teachers, classrooms, and books, and that’s probably because there’s been a lot of questions as to whether this facility is actually equipped to handle families,” Romo reported.

“It’s a very difficult situation, difficult to watch,” Whitfield said.

Watch above via CNN.

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