for Chalkbeat: Their student was detained by ICE. Now this Bronx school is rallying to get him back. by José A. Alvarado Jr.

News

for Chalkbeat: Their student was detained by ICE. Now this Bronx school is rallying to get him back.

josé a. alvarado jr.

Sep 17, 2025

In the panicked moments after immigration agents detained Dylan Lopez Contreras in a Manhattan courthouse last month, his mother dialed a familiar number.

It was Hedin Bernard, a counselor at her son’s high school, English Language Learner and International Support Preparatory Academy, or ELLIS Prep — a nod to the famous island through which millions of immigrants entered New York City last century.“He’s always given us support,” said Raiza, who asked to use only her first name for fear of retaliation.

“He knows my son is a good kid. They’ve taken him in there, and they’re always available to help.

”Dylan’s arrest two weeks ago — the first known case of a New York City public school student detained by immigration agents in President Donald Trump’s second term — has galvanized local opposition to federal immigration policy and sparked a fierce debate about the city’s role in protecting immigrant students. His detention also has put a spotlight on the unique brand of public education offered by schools like ELLIS Prep.

Photographed for Chalkbeat, with words by Michael Elsen-Rooney

NYC school rallies to bring back their student detained by ICE
âThey thought no one would miss him. That was a mistake.â Now, this Bronx school community is rallying around a student detained by ICE.
Chalkbeat.org

José A. Alvarado Jr.

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