Haitian high school student in New York released from ICE custody amid TPS battle

A Haitian high school student detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been released after more than a month in custody.

Alan Junior Pierre, a 20-year-old student at Spring Valley High School in Pearl River, New York, was taken into custody on June 3 during a routine immigration check-in despite having Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a pending green card application, and no criminal record.

Pierre’s detention, which occurred primarily at the  Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, drew sharp criticism from immigration advocates and elected officials, especially as Haiti continues to face extreme instability. 

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican representing New York worked alongside Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer to secure Pierre’s release by coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security.

“I had no communication channel into ICE. They won’t speak with me, which is why I had to rely on the elected officials,” Pierre’s attorney Vince Sykes said, as reported by WABC.

For the past two weeks Sen. Schumer has been working with the Pierre family and their attorney to hep secure his release.

“The detention of Alan shook the tightly knit Haitian-American community in Spring Valley to its core,” Schumer told The Haitian Times in a statement. 

“I was proud to work with the Pierre family to right this wrongful targeting by the Trump administration, which should be going after dangerous criminals not a young student of a United States citizen father with no record who is applying for a green card,” Schumer said. 

His office has expressed ongoing concern about the crisis in Haiti, noting that Schumer recently met with Haitian Ambassador Lionel Delatour to discuss security, humanitarian aid, U.S. immigration policies, and the role of the diaspora in shaping U.S.–Haiti relations. The conversation took place just before a federal judge blocked the administration’s attempt to revoke TPS for Haitians—part of a broader legal battle now unfolding.

The Trump administration had moved to end Haiti’s protected status months ahead of schedule. A federal judge in New York halted the early termination on July 1, but the administration has said it will appeal the ruling.

Pearl River is located about 30 miles north of New York City, which is home to one of the largest Haitian immigrant communities in the United States. Roughly 163,000 Haitian immigrants live in the New York metro area, particularly in neighborhoods like Flatbush in Brooklyn.

Pierre’s case remains under review, but both Rep. Lawler and Sen. Schumer said they will continue advocating for legal protections for Haitian nationals under U.S. immigration law.

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