Here in New York, a high school student has been released from a Pennsylvania ICE jail after nearly a year in custody. Twenty-one-year-old Dylan Lopez Contreras was a freshman at a Bronx high school when he was taken by federal agents. He and his family are asylum seekers from Venezuela. Dylan spoke at a rally welcoming him back to New York on Thursday.

Dylan Lopez Contreras: “As I’ve told you, it’s super ugly to be in there. I’ve really seen all kinds of people who don’t — we don’t deserve to be there, and I still want to keep fighting for them, which is what we have to do.”

Several elected officials attended the gathering, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “This is a city that does not stand for our children being snatched from their home. It is a city that does not stand for high school students being taken away from the life they should have. And as Dylan has reminded us, this is but a glimpse into something that is affecting so many across this city, across this state and across this country. And we will not rest until every single person is where they deserve to be.”