New York City has claimed that a 20-year-old Bronx public school student Dylan Lopez
Contreras, who was arrested two weeks ago at his immigration court hearing for asylum, is being detained without cause and is taking legal action against ICE. The arrest and many like it by ICE as of late has led to several protests occurring in Manhattan outside the immigration court, with a little under 24 arrests occurring. Many feel as if the seizure of immigrants at their immigration court hearings is much like a malicious trap, where immigrants get punished for showing up and punished for failing to appear.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, Conteras’ arrest was unlawful, that “instead of being rewarded for following the law, he was punished for doing what we all asked him to do” and that “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.” In the ongoing case to potentially free Contreras, New York City condemned the seizure of Contreras by ICE, feeling that he did everything to the letter and got punished for it.
According to City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant, “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. Justice requires and the city fully supports Dylan’s release.” Whether Contreras remains detained or not is yet to be determined.
