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Three months in detention have taken a toll on Dylan Lopez Contreras, the New York Metropolis scholar arrested by federal immigration brokers in Might.
However letters from his classmates have been a balm, he mentioned in an interview with Chalkbeat, the primary he’s given since his arrest.
“The letters I’ve acquired and the assist I’ve been given have stored me going,” the 20-year-old mentioned in Spanish, responding to questions in writing by his attorneys on the New York Authorized Help Group. “Nonetheless, this can be very nerve-racking and distressing. I’ve seen fights, racism, and even demise. It has given me many nightmares.”
Dylan turned himself in on the U.S. border in April 2024 after a trek from Venezuela. He requested asylum and was permitted to enter the nation, making his solution to New York and enrolling in ELLIS Preparatory Academy. He was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in Might at a routine courtroom date and has spent many of the previous three months at Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Middle, the biggest detention facility within the Northeast.
Chalkbeat broke the information of Dylan’s arrest, which turned a vivid illustration of how the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is taking part in out in New York Metropolis and affecting college students. Chalkbeat has additionally chronicled how the scholars and workers at ELLIS, a Bronx highschool faculty that enrolls college students who’ve been within the nation lower than a 12 months, rallied to his protection, elevating cash for his case and sending him letters.
“I by no means imagined I might obtain a lot assist,” Dylan wrote. “Actually, it felt very stunning and hopeful.”
Dylan’s asylum case continues Monday, when he’s anticipated to be again in immigration courtroom. The listening to may decide whether or not he’s launched from detention or deported.
A whole lot of younger New Yorkers detained this 12 months
When President Donald Trump took workplace, he vowed to “start the method of returning tens of millions and tens of millions of legal aliens again to the locations from which they got here.” Months later, many immigrants — who, like Dylan, had been with out authorized standing but in addition had no legal histories — had been detained at Decrease Manhattan’s 26 Federal Plaza and different courthouses throughout the nation at routine immigration hearings.
The Trump administration has described that as a “common sense” strategy, enabling them to search out their targets with out having to fan out into neighborhoods, and mentioned they’re fulfilling the promise of mass deportations that fueled Trump’s marketing campaign victory.
Division of Homeland Safety officers didn’t instantly reply to questions on Dylan’s case or Moshannon Valley.
Since ICE detained Dylan in Might, different arrests of New York Metropolis youth — and deportations — have adopted.
The town’s Schooling Division mentioned they might not share what number of public faculty college students have been detained by ICE, particularly since they don’t observe or ask households to reveal nation of origin or immigration standing.
This 12 months, ICE has detained about 275 folks in New York Metropolis who had been born in 2004 or later, in line with authorities knowledge offered by ICE in response to a public information request to the Deportation Knowledge Challenge and analyzed by Chalkbeat. Most of these detained had been male, and roughly two-thirds had been from Latin America. Three- and 4-year-olds had been amongst these detained from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Venezuela.
In August, a 6-year-old who attended P.S. 89 in Queens was deported to Ecuador together with her mom, in line with reviews. That very same month, Mamadou Mouctar, a 20-year-old from Guinea who attended Brooklyn’s Frontiers Excessive College, was detained. As in Dylan’s case, educators and metropolis leaders spoke out in assist.
From Bronx classroom to detention cell
Dylan mentioned his days at Moshannon Valley have been monotonous: late evening and early morning head counts and making an attempt to make little noise to keep away from being informed by the opposite 60 or so folks in his cell to be quiet. (A whole lot of protesters gathered close to the ability final month calling for its closure, following a federal grievance filed in opposition to Moshannon Valley over inadequate medical and psychological well being care and insufficient translation companies.)
“The vast majority of the folks listed below are depressed,” Dylan wrote. “They spend more often than not speaking about their final, or subsequent, courtroom choice, their household outdoors, or the injustice of being right here.”
Earlier than Dylan’s arrest, he was centered on his research and serving to his mother take care of his two youthful siblings, partly, by the cash he made working as a supply driver. He was busy making pals at ELLIS, sharing his arepas at lunch with them. He mentioned he hoped to proceed studying English to pursue a level within the U.S. — a aim he mentioned he nonetheless plans to work towards.
“This unjust detention has annoyed and paralyzed my training and energy momentarily,” Dylan mentioned. “However it received’t make me hand over on working laborious towards my instructional objectives.”
Dylan desires of a day he is perhaps launched and be capable of hug his household, eat good meals, and sleep effectively. He additionally joked about having to make up floor after dropping his 230-day Duolingo streak.
Dylan mentioned he wished Trump to do not forget that immigrants contribute to the economic system, and he argued that the cash being spent on an immigration crackdown might be devoted to different issues like training. Firstly of the summer season, Congress authorized a spending invoice that put aside an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration enforcement.
“I perceive the president’s level of wanting his nation to be higher, however he should do not forget that this can be a nation of migrants, constructed by them,” he wrote.
It’s doable that Dylan’s listening to on Monday won’t yield a direct consequence, members of his authorized staff mentioned. The staff plans to current detailed testimony and proof supporting his asylum declare, which may prolong the timeline for a decision. There’s additionally an opportunity he may stay in detention if he wins asylum, however the Division of Homeland Safety information an attraction. He additionally may attraction if he’s denied asylum.
Chalkbeat Senior Knowledge Editor Thomas Wilburn contributed.
Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, overlaying NYC public colleges. Contact Michael at melsen-rooney@chalkbeat.org.
Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.
