ICE releases Dylan Lopez Contreras, NYC high school student, after 10 months in detention

Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News on Mar 18, 2026

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NEW YORK — Dylan Lopez Contreras, the first known New York City student detained by federal immigration authorities as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, has been released after nearly a year in custody, his lawyers said Wednesday.

Lopez Contreras, a Bronx high school student who fled persecution in Venezuela, was arrested last spring at a routine immigration hearing, where he did not have a lawyer. He was transferred to a facility in Pennsylvania, where he was held for 10 months.

His mother, Raiza Contreras, thanked God and the public for rallying behind her son.

“Very soon, my son will be back with his siblings and me,” she said in a statement. “It is both a relief and a blessing.”

Kate Fetrow, an associate supervising attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group and one of Lopez Contreras’ lawyers, said “nothing can undo the injustice” of denying him due process, “snatching away the precious time, education and experiences he’s been forced to miss for nearly a year of his young life.”

“His release today is a momentous step in the right direction as we continue to fight to restore justice for Dylan and his family,” Fetrow said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lopez Contreras, 21, came to the United States in April 2024 under a President Biden-era entry program that was rolled back when Trump took office.

Lopez Contreras enrolled in ELLIS Preparatory Academy, a specialized public school in the Bronx for older immigrant students, where he was learning English while supporting his mom and younger siblings.

But his acclimation to life in New York came to an abrupt halt last May when at a scheduled immigration hearing, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers followed Lopez Contreras out of the courtroom and arrested him in the lobby.

Advocates and Democratic elected officials came to his defense, insisting Lopez Contreras was following the legitimate asylum process for immigrants fearful of returning to their native countries.

During his time in detention, Lopez Contreras battled chronic health issues, but faced setback after setback from immigration and federal courts as his attorneys fought for his release.

“Our city is overjoyed that Dylan has finally been released from detention and will be back home with his loved ones in the Bronx,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. “He is a New Yorker, and our city is glad to have him home.”

“Dylan did everything right — he entered legally, worked to support his family and enrolled in school,” added Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who brought Raiza Contreras as his guest to the State of the Union. “He should have never been detained like this.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she urged the president’s border czar specifically to release Lopez Contreras when she recently met with him on immigration issues.

“Earlier this month, I met with Tom Homan to make an appeal for ICE and federal law enforcement to focus on real threats and to stop the attacks on law-abiding people who call New York home,” Hochul said in a statement. “As part of this meeting I urged the release of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a young public school student who was unjustly taken by federal immigration agents last year.

“Today, after 10 long, painful months in ICE detention, Dylan is finally being reunited with his family.

“While I am relieved that Dylan has been released, we cannot stop here,” Hochul added. “The federal government must work with New York to return all those who have been wrongfully taken and separated from their families.”

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