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.<\/p>\n
Dylan Contreras, an asylum seeker who had been attending Ellis Prep Academy<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n What You Need To Know<\/p>\n Dylan Contreras, a Bronx student and asylum seeker who was\u00a0detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for around 10 months, has been released and returned home,\u00a0advocates and officials said Wednesday The grassroots organization provides resources, opportunities, community and connections to immigrants.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a moment for joy and celebration. Over the past ten months, our visits with Dylan have left us sad and frustrated,\u201d Malu and Braun wrote. \u201cWe are thrilled that last night we finally we were able to pick him up from detention and bring him home.\u201d<\/p>\n In his own statement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city was \u201coverjoyed that Dylan has finally been released from detention and will be back home with his loved ones in the Bronx.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat 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,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout this injustice, Dylan has shown remarkable strength, resilience, and courage,\u201d he added. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, said she “shared Dylan’s name and demanded his release” when she met with President Donald Trump’s “border czar,”<\/a> Tom Homan, in Albany earlier this month.<\/p>\n “After 10 long, painful months in ICE detention, Dylan is finally coming home to his family,” Hochul wrote on social media.<\/p>\n Contreras, 21, was detained by ICE agents in May 2025<\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n His detention drew attention from city and state officials and immigrant advocates<\/a>, who argued he was being punished for following the rules.<\/p>\n
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Contreras, 21, was\u00a0detained by ICE agents in May 2025\u00a0after 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
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His mother, Raiza Contreras,\u00a0spoke with NY1 about the ordeal<\/a>, describing the toll the separation had taken on their family<\/p>\n