A New Jersey immigration judge has ordered the deportation of a Bronx high school student who has spent more than four months in federal custody, his attorneys who plan to appeal the decision said Wednesday.
Dylan Lopez Contreras, a Venezuelan-born student at Ellis Prep High School in the Bronx, was arrested on May 21 in Lower Manhattan while attending a mandatory immigration hearing tied to his asylum application. His arrest was the first involving a New York City public school student during President Trump’s second term, a period marked by aggressive federal efforts to remove undocumented immigrants regardless of criminal history.
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 dispute.
Contreras’ attorneys maintain that he entered the country legally, applied for asylum in a timely manner, and complied with all court requirements. He remains detained at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Pennsylvania.
The ruling, which denies Contreras’ asylum claim, was handed down Tuesday. He has 30 days to appeal.
“The court’s decision to again further deprive Dylan of his basic rights to a fair hearing, due process, and justice is outrageous and beyond heartbreaking,” said Lauren Kostes, supervising attorney for the New York Legal Assistance Group’s Immigrant Protection Unit. She said her team will appeal, seek his release on bond, and “fight tirelessly to exhaust all potential legal avenues to bring him home as soon as possible.”
“Dylan was punished for doing the right thing. After following his immigration obligations, he was kidnapped by masked men, ripped away from his family, imprisoned in inhumane conditions for months, and forced to litigate his hearing from ICE detention, she said.
“While we are grateful the judge correctly found Dylan to be credible, we are disappointed that despite his compelling testimony and voluminous evidence detailing his fear, his case was denied.”
In a recent interview with Chalkbeat from inside detention, Contreras described his experience as “extremely stressful and distressing,” saying he had witnessed racism, violence, and even death at the facility.
Support from classmates, who have sent him letters, has helped him endure, he said.
Since his detention, New York City officials have rallied for Contreras’ release, including Mayor Eric Adams, who said earlier this year that the teen had “done everything right” before being detained.
In June, the city filed an amicus brief condemning ICE’s arrest of Contreras at his immigration hearing, backing his application, and warning that the practice could undermine trust in the legal system.
Kostes warned that Tuesday’s decision extends far beyond Contreras’ individual case and “reflects the broader moment we find ourselves in and the deeply flawed and unjust system we’re forced to navigate.”
“For those who need justice most, it often remains out of reach due to cruel policies and systemic injustices that cause real harm,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
