Council Member Rita Joseph demands release of detained Bronx student, calls on NYC to defend sanctuary protections

Council Member Rita Joseph, chair of the New York City Council’s education committee, is demanding the immediate release of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a Bronx high school student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a routine immigration hearing.

Joseph joined the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) at a rally last week, denouncing Contreras’ detention as a betrayal of New York City’s sanctuary policies and a dangerous signal to immigrant families who rely on public services and courts. Contreras’ detention marks the first reported case of a New York City public school student detained by federal immigration agents under the new administration.  

“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the detainment of Dylan,” Joseph said in a statement. “New York City is a sanctuary city. That is not just a slogan—it is the law.”

Contreras, 17, is a student at Ellis Preparatory Academy in the Bronx and has no criminal record. He was arrested at a Manhattan courthouse on May 21 while attending a scheduled immigration hearing for his asylum application. Advocates say he was undergoing medical evaluations when taken into custody and that a federal judge recently denied a request for his release, reportedly without reviewing his medical records.

This week, the City of New York filed an amicus brief in support of Contreras’ release in Dylan Lopez Contreras v. Leonard Oddo, the warden of Moshannon Valley Processing Center, where Dylan is being held. 

The city argues Dylan is being detained without cause and that his arrest undermines public safety by discouraging immigrants from using critical city services. Contreras had accessed the city’s Asylum Application Help Center to apply for asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and work authorization.

“Dylan was going through the exact legal proceeding that we encourage new arrivals to go through,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Instead of being rewarded for following the law, he was punished for doing what we all asked him to do.”

The brief states that tactics like Dylan’s arrest instill fear in immigrant communities and risk “driving underground those otherwise inclined to follow the country’s immigration laws.”

Council Member Joseph, a former teacher who has visited nearly 100 schools since taking office in 2022, framed the incident as both an educational and human rights issue. 

“The sanctuary laws of this city must be respected and enforced, not ignored,” she said, calling on Adams to act decisively.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of NYIC, also criticized the detention: “Dylan deserves freedom, not to be locked in a detention center. His arrest is another example of how the Trump administration’s policies weaponize our immigration system against those seeking safety and a future.”

New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos echoed that concern, noting that schools must remain “safe spaces for all students,” regardless of immigration status. “Detaining him is not just a legal injustice, it’s a moral one,” she said.

Joseph vowed continued advocacy on Dylan’s behalf. “To Dylan and to every immigrant student and family in our city: I see you. I will fight for you. You are not alone.”

As of Friday, Dylan remains in federal custody in Pennsylvania.

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