{"id":2555,"date":"2025-10-14T23:15:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T23:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/2555\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T23:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T23:15:22","slug":"bronx-high-school-student-arrested-by-ice-after-routine-court-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/2555\/","title":{"rendered":"Bronx high school student arrested by ICE after routine court date"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up for Chalkbeat New York\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/a> to get essential news about NYC\u2019s public schools delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n

The Bronx high school student from Venezuela was trying to do everything right. <\/p>\n

Dylan, 20, fled his home country last year and turned himself in at the U.S. border in April 2024 through a Biden-era entry program<\/a>. He requested asylum and was permitted to enter the country while he awaited a court date, allowing him to obtain a work permit and driver\u2019s learner permit, according to his lawyers and his mom, Raiza.<\/p>\n

He joined his mom and two younger siblings in the Bronx, finding part-time work as a delivery driver to help Raiza scrape together enough money to move the family out of a city-run homeless shelter and into their own apartment. <\/p>\n

And even though he had already finished high school in Venezuela, he enrolled in a Bronx high school that caters to older newcomers, determined to continue studying and make it to college.<\/p>\n

So when Dylan\u2019s mandatory court date arrived last Wednesday, he and Raiza had little hesitation about showing up in person as instructed in lower Manhattan, assuming it would be a routine check-in, according to Raiza, who asked to use only their first names for fear of retaliation from immigration authorities.<\/p>\n

Instead, Raiza said, Dylan, who attended the court hearing without a lawyer, unwittingly relinquished his legal protections and was promptly arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents who followed him out of the courtroom and into the courthouse lobby.<\/p>\n

Dylan\u2019s arrest was part of a nationwide blitz. In courthouses across the country, government lawyers asked judges to dismiss cases against migrants, then immediately reopened them as \u201cexpedited removal\u201d cases \u2014 allowing authorities to apprehend their targets on the spot and thrust them into a sped-up deportation process with fewer legal checks, according to lawyers and numerous<\/a> news reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like a dirty game on their part,\u201d Raiza told Chalkbeat in Spanish. \u201cWhen someone appears in front of a judge, it\u2019s because they don\u2019t have any criminal record, they want to do the right thing. \u2026 The only thing he wants is to study.\u201d<\/p>\n

The arrest has sent shockwaves through ELLIS Prep, the tight-knit Bronx high school Dylan attends, and is the first known example of a current New York City public school student detained by ICE during Trump\u2019s second administration, according to several immigration advocates and educators.<\/p>\n

ELLIS Prep Principal Norma Vega gathered staff members last Friday to tell them about Dylan. \u201cOne of our kids was taken,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Vega said she\u2019s been heartened by the support Dylan is already receiving and hopes to organize more efforts to fight for his release. \u201cThey thought he was easy pickings and [a] nobody \u2026 [but] there are a lot of people out there willing to support.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement in response to a Chalkbeat inquiry and later posted to social media<\/a>, schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said, \u201cOur hearts go out to the student who was detained by ICE, and we are deeply saddened for their family. While this incident did not occur on school grounds, we want to reassure our families: we will continue to speak out and advocate for the safety, dignity, and rights of all of our students.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the five days since he was detained on May 21, Dylan, who suffers from severe stomach issues, has been shuttled between four different states \u2014 New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, according to his lawyers and mom. <\/p>\n

The rapid moves have prevented his lawyers from making contact with him, since it usually takes several days after a transfer to set up a consultation, according to an attorney from the New York Legal Assistance Group, or NYLAG, which is representing Dylan. Raiza, who has spoken to Dylan by phone, said he has not received medical care and has spent most of the time with his hands and feet cuffed. <\/p>\n

ICE did not respond to Chalkbeat\u2019s inquiry about Dylan\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

A grueling journey leads to more struggle and hope<\/p>\n

Dylan\u2019s family is part of a historic wave of migrants arriving in New York City in recent years. Raiza first took her two younger kids \u2014 now ages 7 and 10 \u2014 through the dangerous Darien Gap in 2023. But she couldn\u2019t afford Dylan\u2019s trip at the time, and he had to undertake the journey on his own a year later. <\/p>\n

The experience was traumatic. Dylan was kidnapped in Mexico by the notorious Sinaloa cartel and held for ransom, Raiza said.<\/p>\n

Once she secured his release, Dylan entered the country with an appointment through the CBP One App, a Biden-era program recently revoked by Trump<\/a> that was meant to formalize and streamline the process of entering the country. Dylan was allowed to enter the U.S. while he awaited his first court date, and he applied \u2014 without the help of a lawyer \u2014 for asylum and for Special Immigration Juvenile Status<\/a>, a type of legal protection for youth, according to his attorney at NYLAG.<\/p>\n

Dylan\u2019s legal status allowed him to qualify for both a work authorization and a driver\u2019s permit, according to his mom. He was able to buy his own e-bike and work part time as a delivery driver.<\/p>\n

We’re on a need-to-know basis.<\/p>\n

Every weekday morning, Chalkbeat New York is bringing thousands of subscribers the news on public schools and education policy that they need to start their day. Sign up for our free newsletter to join them.<\/p>\n

Life in the U.S. wasn\u2019t easy for his family. His mom worked multiple jobs \u2014 including selling chocolate, cleaning apartments, and assisting a carpenter \u2014 to help move her family out of the homeless shelter where they were staying in the Bronx. Then Raiza said she almost lost thousands of dollars in an apartment rental scam and only recovered some of it back after threatening to call the police.<\/p>\n

Dylan struggled to balance work and school, at one point considering dropping out until the school and Raiza intervened, she said. And most recently, Dylan was struggling with severe bouts of illness that kept him out of school, Raiza added. Dylan was in the process of getting additional medical testing when he was detained, Raiza said.<\/p>\n

But despite all of their struggles, Raiza was proud of the life she and her children forged in New York City. <\/p>\n

\"ADylan, third from left, poses with his mom and younger siblings. (Courtesy of Raiza) <\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing I want is a better future for them,\u201d said Raiza. \u201cUnfortunately, my country doesn\u2019t lend itself to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three kids loved their schools. Dylan, a homebody with little interest in partying, took an active role in caring for his younger siblings as Raiza worked long hours. He picked them up from school and corrected their behavior when necessary, she said.<\/p>\n

And Dylan, who often wears his black hair shaggy and shoulder-length, won many admirers among staff and students at ELLIS for his shy but kind demeanor. One classmate recalled him freely sharing his arepas, a popular Venezuelan dish of fried cornmeal stuffed with meat or cheese. Dylan used to play Uno at lunch with a group of friends and was interested in learning the guitar in music class, his guidance counselor said.<\/p>\n

A court date turns into handcuffs<\/p>\n

Normally, a court date like Dylan\u2019s would have been relatively straightforward. But when Dylan and his mom arrived at immigration court at 290 Broadway in lower Manhattan, the government lawyers made an unusual request. They asked the judge to dismiss the deportation proceedings against Dylan, according to his mom and lawyers.<\/p>\n

But when Dylan\u2019s deportation proceedings were dismissed, his asylum claim was too, leaving him without legal protection and allowing the government to initiate an expedited removal.<\/p>\n

If the family had a lawyer present, they might have been able to oppose the request to dismiss, or might have more fully understood the possible repercussions, said Dylan\u2019s NYLAG attorneys. But Raiza said she had looked in vain for an attorney before the hearing and could not afford a private one.<\/p>\n

After Dylan\u2019s case was dismissed, Raiza said two men entered the courtroom and then followed her and Dylan outside and into the elevator.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we got out of the elevator, they said, \u2018get up against the wall,\u2019\u201d Raiza recalled. Next to them, another girl was screaming while she was detained, recalled Raiza, who was also cuffed initially. She pleaded with the officers that Dylan had no criminal record, and told them she has young kids at home. The officers released Raiza, but took Dylan into an unmarked car, she said.<\/p>\n

\"ARaiza and her son Dylan. (Courtesy of Raiza) <\/p>\n

The practice of making arrests at courthouses \u201cwill cause fear and cause people to be afraid to go to hearings and to assert their right to asylum,\u201d said Dylan\u2019s lawyer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize his case. But missing a court date can also lead to a deportation order, she noted. <\/p>\n

The hours after Dylan\u2019s arrest were a blur of activity as Raiza tried in vain to get more information about Dylan\u2019s detention. She called her son\u2019s guidance counselor, Hedin Bernard, at ELLIS Prep, who referred her to a church that could help connect her with legal representation and case management.<\/p>\n

Under expedited removal proceedings, which do not require a hearing with a judge, Dylan will have an interview with an asylum officer about whether he has \u201ccredible fear\u201d of returning to Venezuela, and his answers could determine whether he has any legal basis to remain in the country. He likely won\u2019t have access to a lawyer during the process, his attorneys said.<\/p>\n

That means Dylan will essentially have to start the process of applying for asylum \u201call over again, but detained and alone,\u201d said his attorney.<\/p>\n

According to Raiza, Dylan has no close family left in Venezuela, and she worries that he could be imprisoned by the government if he returns. \u201cThis is what I despair about,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to turn out well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dylan\u2019s lawyers said there are multiple reasons his detention and the attempt at expedited removal are legally dubious. There is an ongoing lawsuit challenging whether people who entered the country in the same way as Dylan can be placed in expedited removal. And his lawyers say Dylan has an upcoming hearing in his request for Special Juvenile Immigration Status.<\/p>\n

Dylan\u2019s detention has devastated his two elementary-age siblings, who see him as \u201ca dad,\u201d said Raiza. <\/p>\n

When Raiza didn\u2019t come home on time the day Dylan was detained, her younger kids began frantically calling. She had to break the news by phone. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe boy started to cry desperately \u2026 they were just asking, \u2018when is he going to return?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI told them that their brother was taken by ICE, to keep up their faith in God that everything is going to be okay, and that they should pray, because God listens to kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dylan has put on a brave face during her phone calls with him, Raiza said, but she knows he\u2019s scared. <\/p>\n

As for Raiza, her grueling journey to the U.S. has made her fearless about most things. Except for one: \u201cThe only thing I\u2019m scared of is something happening to my kids,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Michael at melsen-rooney@chalkbeat.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leer en espa\u00f1ol Sign up for Chalkbeat New York\u2019s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2556,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[128,3126,3127,3125,9,24,63,3128,129,131,130],"class_list":["post-2555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-bronx","tag-detention-of-immigrants","tag-ellis-prep","tag-ice-agents","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-student-detained","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}