NYC Student Returns to School After 10 Months in ICE Detention
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 19: NYC High School student Dylan Lopez Contreras thanks people for the support during a press conference on his release at Middle Church on March 19, 2026 in New York City. Lopez Contreras was freed after spending nearly a year of detention after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a Lower Manhattan courthouse while attending a mandatory hearing. (Footage by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
A New York City high school student has returned to class after spending nearly 10 months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, highlighting the ongoing uncertainties faced by immigrant students in the United States.
Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 21-year-old Venezuelan native and student at ELLIS Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, was detained in May 2025 after attending an immigration hearing in Manhattan. His arrest made him one of the first known NYC public school students detained during the second term of Donald Trump, amid a broader crackdown on immigration enforcement.
After months in a Pennsylvania detention facility, Contreras was released last week while his asylum case remains under appeal. Although he has returned to school, his legal status remains uncertain, and immigration authorities retain the ability to re-detain him depending on the outcome of his case.
Upon his return, school staff and classmates welcomed him with emotional support, having previously organized advocacy efforts, legal assistance, and community campaigns during his detention. Educators say they are now focused on helping him reintegrate academically while also addressing the emotional impact of his prolonged confinement.
Contreras’s schooling has been interrupted significantly, and he must now catch up on missed coursework, including exam preparation and extracurricular activities. School officials are also coordinating mental health support services to help him adjust after his experience in detention.
Despite being released, Contreras must comply with monitoring requirements, including regular check-ins with authorities and restrictions linked to his release conditions. These limitations have also affected his ability to participate in school-related activities such as field trips.
His case reflects broader challenges faced by immigrant students in New York City, where enforcement actions and declining migration flows have impacted school enrollment and increased concerns among students about deportation risks.
Educators at ELLIS Preparatory Academy say they will continue supporting Contreras as he works toward improving his English skills, completing his studies, and preparing for college, while balancing the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his immigration proceedings.
