Crocheters Make Blue Bunny Hats in Solidarity With Liam

When a photo of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a blue bunny-eared hat in ICE custody spread across the internet in January, it broke hearts nationwide. But it also inspired something unexpected: a crafting movement.

Liam and his father Adrian were detained and taken to a facility in Dilley, Texas, where they remained for over a week. On January 31, a judge ordered their release, and Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro personally escorted them home to Minnesota the next day.

"Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack," Rep. Castro shared on social media. "Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam."

The small blue hat with bunny ears became a powerful symbol. Crafters across the country began crocheting their own versions, sharing them online under #HatsForLiam as an act of solidarity.

A crocheter known as The Laughing Lamb created a free pattern so others could join in. "His sweet bunny hat has become an enduring symbol for those of us who oppose the cruelty of this administration," they wrote.

This marked the first time The Laughing Lamb had ever written a pattern, but they wanted to make it accessible to everyone. The pattern is available for free download on Ravelry, and they intentionally kept it free as a symbolic protest they wouldn't profit from.

The Ripple Effect

The bunny hats are showing up everywhere now. Parents are making them for their own children, hoping to spark conversations about empathy and justice.

"I am making my boys and some friends' kids blue bunny hats like Liam's," one crocheter shared on Instagram. "My hope is that when people see the hats, they think of Liam and all the kids like him."

The movement mirrors earlier crafting protests, like the red "Melt the ICE" hats that raised over $580,000 for immigrant support. But these bunny hats carry a different message: they're not for sale, just for solidarity.

Some crafters say they wove tears into every stitch. Others hope to see lines of protesters wearing bunny hats at rallies, turning grief into visible action.

In a moment when people feel powerless, thousands are finding purpose with yarn and a crochet hook, one bunny hat at a time.