Bronx student released after 10 months in ICE detention pending deportation appeal
May 20, 2026·Location: New York, NY
Country of origin: Venezuela

Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 21-year-old Venezuelan student at ELLIS Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was detained by ICE in May 2024 after attending a mandatory immigration court hearing in Lower Manhattan. He was transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, where an immigration judge denied his asylum claim in September 2024 and ordered his deportation to Venezuela. After nearly 10 months in detention, Contreras was released on March 18-19, 2025, while his legal team pursued an appeal of the deportation order. He returned to school while applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, subject to an ankle monitor and ICE check-ins as his asylum appeal remains pending. Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old high school student at Ellis Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was arrested by ICE agents in May 2025 at a Lower Manhattan courthouse after attending a mandatory immigration hearing. He was held in federal custody for nearly 10 months before being released on March 18, 2026, on his own recognizance with an ankle monitor. His detention was notable as the first widely documented case of a public school student in New York City being detained by federal agents under the Trump administration. A teenager named Ricardo was held in ICE detention and spent time in solitary confinement, prompting outrage from the Chicago community. His mother, Martha Liliana, and community members organized a rally calling for his release. Dylan, a 16-year-old high school student in the Bronx, was arrested by ICE when attending a routine court date at an immigration courthouse in New York City. The arrest occurred as part of ICE's campaign of arresting people at mandated immigration court hearings and fast-tracking deportations. Dylan, a 20-year-old student from Ellis Prep High School, was detained by ICE in May during an asylum hearing. He remains in ICE custody. This case is part of a pattern of ICE detention of NYC public school students attending legal hearings.
Sources
- CBS News
- ICE has detained this high schooler for 10 months. Here’s what he and his classmates want you to know
The Guardian·Mar 1, 2026·archived copy
- CBS News
- Queens high school student detained after immigration court hearing, officials say
- NYC high school student released from ICE detention after 10 months
nbcbayarea.com·Mar 18, 2026·archived copy
- Dylan Lopez Contreras: New York City high school student released after nearly 10 months in custody following ICE detainment
- NYC high school student reunited with community after nearly 10 months in ICE detention
audacy.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
- Bronx student detained by ICE released after 10 months in custody
- New York high school student released after 10 months in ICE facility
guardian.co.uk·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
- Dylan López Contreras, the first high school student detained by ICE in New York, released after nearly 10 months
english.elpais.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
- ELLIS student Dylan Contreras freed after 10 months of ICE detention - The Riverdale Press
riverdalepress.com·Mar 18, 2026·archived copy
- NYC high school student released after nearly 10 months in custody following ICE detainment
abc7ny.com·Mar 18, 2026·archived copy
- Bronx Student Freed After 10 Months In ICE Custody
patch.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
- Bronx student speaks for first time since release from ICE detention after 10 months
nbcnewyork.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
4.nbcny.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
- Bronx student from Venezuela released from ICE detention after 10 months
- After 10 Months in ICE Detention, Dylan Lopez Contreras Returns to School
the74million.org·Apr 2, 2026·archived copy
- NYC Student Detained by ICE Returns to School After 10 Months
The City·Mar 31, 2026·archived copy
- nyti.ms
- After Mather student and mom detained by ICE, a school and soccer community are left reeling
Chicago Sun-Times·Apr 17, 2026·archived copy
- ru24.net
- After ICE Admitted Having No Justification for Arrests at Immigration Courthouses, District Court Grants Stay Prohibiting ICE From Conducting Courthouse Arrests | American Civil Liberties Union
- ‘It's A Miracle': Queens High Schooler Detained For Weeks In Louisiana After ICE Courthouse Arrest Reunites With Family
patch.com·Jul 16, 2025·archived copy
- Queens student detained by ICE hoped to become lifeguard, join varsity soccer team
Gothamist·Jun 18, 2025·archived copy
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