Mayor Eric Adams refused to weigh in on the detainment of a Venezuelan public school student.  

“People should really understand that this was not in a school building. We don’t know what was the outcome of the court case," he said.  “We’re not responsible for them, we’re not in charge of them and so I think that’s a question that should be referred to federal authorities.” 

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams dodged questions related to the detainment of a 20-year-old Venezuelan student

  • Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras was detained on May 21 after attending a routine asylum court date. He didn't have a lawyer and mistakenly waved his rights to legal protections 

  • He remains detained and is in expedited removal proceedings according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials last week detained 20-year-old Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras, who was attending Ellis Prep Academy in the Bronx, following a mandatory court date, according to news outlet Chalkbeat, which first reported the story. 

He went to the hearing without legal counsel and unwittingly waved his right to legal protections, which then allowed ICE agents to arrest him as he walked out of the courtroom. 

“They knew that he didn’t understand what was happening in court and they used a slick maneuver to be detained and to actually be put in this deportation process," Murad Awawdeh, CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said. 

Awawdeh said Contreras' story only highlights the need for increased legal services. 

He noted the mayor should stand up for New Yorkers and not avoiding the issue. 

“This seems in line with the recent rhetoric that he’s been spewing and really trying to give cover to the Trump administration in this moment," Awawdeh said. “What we need the mayor of New York City to do is to support New Yorkers who are caught up in the mass deportation drag net that the Donald Trump administration is moving. And to clearly say he does not support the separation of families, the gutting of our communities.”

Since the summer of 2022, more than 230,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city, with many of them coming from Venezuela. 

“We have not had ICE raids in our schools. We have not had ICE raids in our churches. We have not had ICE raids in our hospitals. We have not had ICE raids in our places of business. Everywhere I tell people to go, I’m living up to what I shared," Adams said as a message for immigrants.

A City Hall spokesperson later said the Adams administration hasn’t had any communication with federal immigration authorities about the student. 

The mayor tiptoed around, leveraging his relationship with President Donald Trump to help in the situation. 

“We have to be extremely careful because [of] the City Council laws. I’m limited to what coordination I can do. It's a blessing and a curse. We don’t know what happened at that hearing.," he said.