Leader Schumer To Bring Mom Of First NYC Public School Student Wrongfully Seized By Trump’s ICE As His Personal Guest To Trump’s State Of The Union; High School Student[...]

Raiza Contreras Is Fighting To Bring Home Her Son, Dylan Lopez Contreras, - A Student Who Entered The U.S. Legally, Was Arrested Outside A Mandatory Court Hearing, And Remains In Detention

Schumer: No Student Should Go From Classroom To Detention Cell For Following The Law

New York, N.Y. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today released the following statement announcing he will bring Raiza Contreras, a mother from the Bronx whose son was the first NYC public school student detained in Trump's ICE mass-detention and deportation campaign, which is terrorizing communities across America, as his personal guest to attend President Trump's State of the Union:

Raiza's son, Dylan Lopez Contreras, a student at Ellis Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, entered legally and was following the law. Despite this, he was still targeted and detained by ICE after attending a mandatory court hearing. At the hearing, ICE officers followed Contreras out of the courtroom and arrested him in the lobby. Dylan is currently being detained in an ICE detention facility, and his mother Raiza, and his attorneys are fighting to bring him home.

"No mother should have to go through what Raiza is experiencing right now - being unjustly separated from her son. Dylan followed the rules. He entered through a legal process, obtained permission to work to support his family, enrolled in school, and showed up to court as required," said Senator Schumer. "Instead, ICE ripped their family apart. When someone complies with the law and appears before a judge, they should not leave in handcuffs. I am proud to bring Raiza as my personal guest to the State of the Union to show how ICE is hurting families and terrorizing communities across America. Dylan deserves to be home with his mom and in the community that loves him. We must rein in ICE. The lawlessness, the violence, the chaos must end."

Raiza Contreras said, "My son Dylan came to this country through a legal program because he believed in doing things the right way. My son went to school, worked to help our family, and showed up to his court date because he trusted the system. But instead of justice, ICE followed him out of the courtroom and took him away. He has been detained for 8.5 months and is being held in Pennsylvania, far from everyone who loves him. All he wants is the chance to study and build a future. I am simply asking for fairness and for my son to be brought home."

Dylan entered the United States in April 2024 through a program that allowed migrants to present themselves lawfully and seek asylum. He was permitted to remain in the country while awaiting his hearing, obtained work authorization and a learner's permit, enrolled in high school, and worked part-time as a delivery driver to help his family move from a city shelter into an apartment, helping his mother care for his two younger siblings. Dylan was granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.

Schumer has been leading efforts in Congress to rein in ICE and impose reforms. He and his colleagues have called for clear guardrails, including prohibiting enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and courts, requiring officers to display identification, banning the use of masks during enforcement, preventing racial profiling, mandating body-worn cameras, ensuring access to counsel in detention facilities, and strengthening oversight and coordination with state and local authorities. Schumer said federal immigration agents cannot continue to cause chaos in communities without accountability and that Congress must act to protect constitutional rights while ensuring common-sense enforcement.

Raiza Contreras will attend President Trump's State of the Union address as Senator Schumer's honored guest as she continues fighting for her son's release.

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