City Hall is challenging ICE’s detainment of 20-year-old Bronx student Dylan Lopez Contreras, who was suddenly taken away by federal agents last month.
Contreras, who hails from Venezuela and is a public school student, was cuffed by ICE on May 21 in Lower Manhattan while attending a mandatory immigration hearing. The arrest sparked outrage even as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dubbed him an “illegal alien” who, they claim, entered the country illegally.
Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday that he disagrees with the DHS assessment, arguing that Contreras had done everything right up until he was unceremoniously detained. Hizzoner also decried the manner in which he was taken into custody, stating that it could lead to immigrants refusing to attend court hearings and using city resources.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe has always been our top priority, and our city is less safe when people are afraid to use public resources and are, instead, forced to hide in the shadows,” Mayor Adams said. “Dylan Lopez Contreras was going through the exact legal proceeding that we encourage new arrivals to go through in order to be able to work and provide for their families — and even accessed the center that we created for migrants to be able to avoid city shelters and become independent. But instead of being rewarded for following the law, he was punished for doing what we all asked him to do.”
In an amicus brief filed on June 2 as part of the ongoing case to free Contreras from ICE’s custody at a Pennsylvania detention center, the city condemned ICE’s seizure of Contreras at the court hearing, and suggested it would cause far-reaching consequences for the legal system.
It goes on to add that arrests like these could have far-reaching consequences in the legal system.
“As detailed in our amicus brief, tactics like those used to detain Dylan Lopez Contreras create a culture of fear around all manner of court proceedings that depend on cooperation from members of the public and undermine the public trust,” said City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “Justice requires, and the city fully supports, Dylan’s release.”
The amicus brief comes as Mayor Eric Adams has faced harsh criticism in recent months for failing to push back against the Trump administration and ICE for arresting immigrants in the Big Apple. But Adams said he wants to send a different message.
“For generations, New York City has been defined by its diverse immigrant communities, and we are sending a message to those communities: We stand with you, and you deserve to live your lives freely,” the mayor said.
