Raiza, the 20-year-old’s mother, said that due to the stress of her son’s arrest, she has been forced to wear a heart monitor. Tears streamed down her face
Photo by Dean Moses
Dylan Lopez Contreras, a Bronx high school student, was released from ICE custody early Wednesday morning after spending 10 months in detention.
According to the New York Immigration Coalition, Contreras walked out of the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Philipsburg, PA, to advocates who traveled more than 250 miles west of the city to collect him. He was the first known high school student to be taken into ICE custody after President Donald Trump came back into power in January 2025.
Contrearas, a student at ELLIS (English Language Learners and International Support) Preparatory Academy High School, and his family can finally “get back to their lives,” said NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh on March 18.
“All New York families belong together. Nearly a year after Dylan was tricked and disappeared by ICE – and shipped to a detention center far away from his family and support system – Dylan is finally home,” Awawdeh said. “But while this is a step towards justice, Dylan will never get back the time he unjustly spent behind bars. Elected officials in New York must take action to make sure that we do not remain complicit in other New Yorkers being torn from their families. Albany must pass New York For All immediately to ensure that our local resources are not used to terrorize our communities and deport our neighbors.”
Photo shared by the family of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a Venezuelan-born student at Ellis Prep High School in the Bronx, taken before his detention by ICE in MayPhoto courtesy of NYLAG
Contreras, who lived in the Bronx, was taken into custody inside 290 Broadway on May 21, 2025, while seeking asylum from his native Venezuela. He was arrested by ICE outside his court hearing, something his family and legal team maintained was wrongful detainment.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacted to Contreras’ release, saying the city is overjoyed that he will be reunited with his family.
“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. Throughout this injustice, Dylan has shown remarkable strength, resilience, and courage. 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,” Mamdani said.
Raiza, the 20-year-old’s mother, said that due to the stress of her son’s arrest, she has been forced to wear a heart monitor. Tears streamed down her facePhoto by Dean Moses
Back in July, Contreras’ mother, Raiza Contreras, rallied outside of 26 Federal Plaza and wept for her son’s freedom and explained the pain she suffered each day.
“It’s not easy to live with fear, worry and despair and not being able to do anything for my son while trying to remain strong for my other two babies, who desperately await the return of their brother,” Raiza Contreras said at the time. “Through it all, I still have faith that God will bring forth justice and touch the hearts of those people thatare against the immigrants.”
The Department of Homeland Security has argued that the 20-year-old entered the United States illegally in April 2024, a claim his lawyers and supporters strongly disputed. Contreras’ attorneys maintained that he entered the country legally, applied for asylum in a timely manner, and complied with all court requirements.
A federal judge ultimately ordered Contreras last September to be deported; the teen’s attorneys appealed the ruling.
In an interview with Chalkbeat from inside detention last year, Contreras described his experience as “extremely stressful and distressing,” saying he had witnessed racism, violence, and even death at the facility.