Queens 11th grader detained by ICE, separated from family: Senator
The Brief
An 11th-grade student from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens was detained by ICE during a routine immigration hearing, as reported by New York State Senator Mike Gianaris and School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.
Senator Gianaris did not disclose the student's name or provide information on their current location or duration of detention, while ICE has not responded to requests for comment.
Both Gianaris and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos have called for the student's release.
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.
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.
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.
The Source
This article uses statements from Aviles-Ramo and Gianaris along with background reporting from Chalkbeat and more.
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