Queens 11th grader detained by ICE, separated from family: Senator

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An ICE agent monitors hundreds of asylum seekers being processed upon entering the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on June 6, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - A New York City public school student was detained by ICE and separated from family during a routine immigration hearing, according to a New York state senator and School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.

What we know:

Sen. Mike Gianaris, who represents parts of Queens in the New York State Senate, posted to X that an 11th grader from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, was detained while attending a legal hearing to seek asylum.

What we don't know:

Gianaris did not name the student nor provide further details, including where the student was being held and how long they had been detained.

What they're saying:

"Apprehending minors in courthouses and separating them from their families is unacceptable, and I join the school in calling for his release," Gianaris tweeted.

Chancellor Aviles-Ramo also responded to FOX 5 NY's request for comment, demanding that ICE release this student.

"This young person should be returning home from school today, surrounded by family — not facing detention," she said in a statement. "Our commitment to all students, including our newest New Yorkers, remains unwavering. 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."

ICE has not responded to FOX 5 NY's request for comment.

Bronx high school student remains in ICE custody

Latest on Bronx student detained by ICE

The 20-year-old was arrested after attending a mandatory immigration court hearing in Lower Manhattan, nonprofit newsroom Chalkbeat reports. FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso has the latest.

This news comes as a Bronx community is rallying for the release of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old Venezuelan national attending Ellis Prep. Academy.

Dylan Contreras

Like the Grover Cleveland student, Contreras was detained in May during a routine immigration court hearing. According to Chalkbeat, he "fled his home country last year and turned himself in at the U.S. border in April 2024 through a Biden-era entry program."

The city has since filed a motion for his release from Pennsylvania's Moshannon Valley Processing Center, saying he's being held without due process.