A federal judge in Texas on Saturday ordered the release of the 5-year-old boy and father who were transported to a detention center in the state amid the Trump administration’s immigration operations in Minnesota.

In a Saturday opinion, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery admonished the administration’s removal of Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, saying the pair “seek nothing but the modicum of due process and the rule of law.”

“Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency,” Biery wrote. “And the rule of law be damned.”

The father and son were detained by federal officers last week when Conejo Ramos returned home from pre-school. A picture of the young boy wearing a bright blue hat and a Spider-Man backpack went viral on social media, prompting outrage in an already-tense climate over the immigration crackdown in the state. 

Biery accused the government of ignoring constitutional rights, and suggested the administration needed a “civics lesson.” 

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“Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster,” Biery wrote. “That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.”

Underneath his signature, the Clinton-appointed judge included the viral picture of the boy standing next to a car and two Bible verses. 

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The Hill has reached out to the DOJ for comment.