A 20-year-old from Venezuela became the first reported New York City public school student to be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, getting taken into custody following a routine court hearing.
Now, there are growing calls for his release.
Parents and teachers at Ellis Prep Academy in Marble Hill expressed their shock after learning Dylan Lopez Contreras was taken into ICE custody last week.
“I just think it’s devastating. I am a mom, I have 3 kids, and I can’t imagine being separated from your child,” said parent Shirley Austin.
The arrest did not happen on school grounds, but rather after a scheduled court appearance in Manhattan, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which confirmed they had Contreras in custody.
Advocates reportedly have said Contreras does not have a criminal record.
“The situation is just heartbreaking…went for a check-in and is now detained. Without due process. They can’t even find him,” said Brooklyn Councilmember Alexa Aviles. “I mean it is horrifying, what is happening.”
When asked about it at a news conference, Mayor Eric Adams deferred to the federal government.
“People should really understand that this was not in the school building. We don’t know what was the outcome of the court case,” the mayor said.
The Department of Homeland Security said Contreras “illegally entered the US more than a year ago…ICE is now following the law and placing the illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.”
The New York Legal Assistance Group, which is representing Contreras, said their client “entered the United States with permission to seek asylum … He works, goes to school, has friends and was fully complying with immigration proceedings. All this does is disrupt communities.”
NYC Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said her heart breaks for the family and insisted it’s still safe for asylum-seeking children to go to school. In a statement posted to social media, the chancellor said that the city’s Department of Education “stands firmly with out students, including our immigrant students, and our schools will always be safe spaces for them.”
Others aren’t so sure.
“He’s trying to do the right thing. He shows up to court like he’s supposed to and gets detained in the process. It’s just really sad,” said Austin.
It was not entirely clear what would come next in the case. Contreras’ attorneys are fighting to get him to stay. Homeland Security said in its statement that people who can prove a valid credible fear claim will be allowed to stay. But if not, they will be deported.
