ICE Detains NYC Student Amid Courthouse Crackdown

Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker and Bronx public high school student, became the first known New York City public school student to be detained by ICE under President Trump's second term after attending an asylum hearing in Manhattan without legal representation. Dylan, who entered the U.S. legally under a Biden-era asylum program and has no criminal record, was supporting his family while attending Ellis Prep Academy. The detention, which did not occur on school grounds, has sparked widespread criticism from advocates, politicians, and school communities, who argue that the expedited deportation process deprives migrants of due process and instills fear among immigrant students. Mayor Eric Adams distanced the city from the incident, emphasizing federal jurisdiction, while city officials and educators called for Dylan's release and renewed support for immigrant students. The case highlights a shift in federal immigration enforcement under the new administration, as ICE increasingly targets migrants at courthouses for rapid deportation. In protest, students across New York City organized walkouts demanding protection for immigrant peers.