A Bronx student who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for around 10 months has been released and returned home, advocates and officials said Wednesday.
Dylan Contreras, an asylum seeker who had been attending Ellis Prep Academy in the Bronx when he was detained, was reunited with his family in New York City, ROCC NYC co-directors Power Malu and Candice Braun said in a statement.
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Dylan Contreras, a Bronx student and asylum seeker who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for around 10 months, has been released and returned home, advocates and officials said Wednesday
Contreras, 21, was detained by ICE agents in May 2025 after he attended a routine immigration hearing without legal counsel and unwittingly waived his right to legal protections, which allowed them to arrest him as he walked out of the courtroom
His mother, Raiza Contreras, spoke with NY1 about the ordeal, describing the toll the separation had taken on their family
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“This is a moment for joy and celebration. Over the past ten months, our visits with Dylan have left us sad and frustrated,” Malu and Braun wrote. “We are thrilled that last night we finally we were able to pick him up from detention and bring him home.”
In his own statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city was “overjoyed that Dylan has finally been released from detention and will be back home with his loved ones in the Bronx.”
“What should have been a time for him to focus on finishing high school instead became ten long months of isolation, after he was taken into custody at what was supposed to be a routine immigration hearing last May,” Mamdani said.
“Throughout this injustice, Dylan has shown remarkable strength, resilience, and courage,” he added. “I wish him a smooth and joyful return to his life, his community, and his future here in New York City. He is a New Yorker, and our city is glad to have him home.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, said she “shared Dylan’s name and demanded his release” when she met with President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, in Albany earlier this month.
“After 10 long, painful months in ICE detention, Dylan is finally coming home to his family,” Hochul wrote on social media.
Contreras, 21, was detained by ICE agents in May 2025 after he attended a routine immigration hearing without legal counsel and unwittingly waived his right to legal protections, which allowed them to arrest him as he walked out of the courtroom.
His detention drew attention from city and state officials and immigrant advocates, who argued he was being punished for following the rules.
His mother, Raiza Contreras, spoke with NY1 about the ordeal, describing the toll the separation had taken on their family.
Advocates called his detention unjust and praised his resilience.
“Dylan’s life was unjustly interrupted, his young adulthood put on hold by a broken immigration system that tore him from his family,” Malu and Braun said. “We have witnessed firsthand what an exceptional person he is. His extraordinary grit, fortitude and resilience in the face of this horrific situation are inspiring.”