Another public high school student in NYC has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allegedly for being in the country illegally.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, attends Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Gothamist reported. According to NYS representatives, he was arrested last week while attending an immigration court appointment with his family.
It is unclear where he was arrested, but NYC Public Schools confirmed it was not on school grounds.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who represents parts of Queens, said the high school’s faculty alerted him to the case on June 6.
“Apprehending minors in courthouses and separating them from their families is unacceptable, and I join the school in calling for his release,” Gianaris said on X, formerly Twitter.
Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who represents Ridgewood, said the student’s parents have not been in contact with their son since he was taken away by authorities.
“His family has not heard from him in days, and has no idea where he is being held,” she said. “I demand that he be released immediately to his family.”
Mayor Eric Adams said he is looking further into the matter.
“We are aware of and concerned about an incident involving a public school student who was reported to be detained after attending an immigration court hearing, and we are gathering additional information,” a City Hall spokesperson told amNewYork. “As Mayor Adams has said repeatedly, our city is less safe when people are afraid to use public resources, including going to their court hearings, and thus feel forced to hide in the shadows.”
Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said she and her team were “saddened” to learn of the student’s arrest and emphasized that he should not be facing detention.
“Our commitment to all students, including our newest New Yorkers, remains unwavering,” she said. “Our policies have not changed. Schools are and will continue to be safe, welcoming spaces for every child. This incident did not happen in a school, and we urge families to keep sending their children to school, where they belong.”
Meanwhile, in a statement to amNewYork, officials at the Department of Homeland Security denied that a high-school aged student was arrested near an immigration courthouse.
“What we can tell you is that on June 6, a 19-year-old illegal alien was arrested who tried to grab the weapon of a Federal Protective Service officer,” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, said. “Without a name, we cannot provide any more details to refute this allegation. Unfortunately, the media doesn’t seem to care about the facts and is running away with another fabricated sob story.”
The incident comes on the heels of Dylan Lopez Contreras’ case, in which a 20-year-old Bronx public high school student from Venezuela was detained by federal agents while he attended a routine immigration hearing on May 21.
Lopez Contreras is currently being held at an immigration processing center in Pennsylvania, according to the ACLU of Pennsylvania, as members of city government and advocates push for his release.
Meanwhile, Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, made a video statement accusing U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and other politicians of “stirring up the outrage” about ICE activity, including the arrests and protests taking place in Los Angeles over the weekend.
“The bottom line is, my officers and agents are out there protecting the same people who are threatening their safety,” he said. “Here is what I have to say to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and anyone else stirring up the outrage about what ICE does: These are real people with real families you are hurting with your ridiculous rhetoric and inflammatory comments. And it’s time to remember that.”
