Overview

• New York City’s Law Department submitted an amicus brief in federal court on June 2 urging the release of 20-year-old Dylan Lopez Contreras.
• Contreras was taken into ICE custody on May 21 after appearing for a routine immigration hearing in Lower Manhattan.
• The brief warns that using court appearances to arrest immigrants risks deterring community members from engaging with the legal system.
• Contreras passed a credible fear interview with an asylum officer, halting his immediate deportation under expedited removal rules.
• Mayor Eric Adams initially distanced himself from the case before backing the city’s intervention under pressure from advocates and officials.