Mayor Eric Adams declined on Tuesday to jump into the fray regarding the fate of a New York City public school student who was arrested by federal immigration authorities at a court hearing last week. Hizzoner argued during his weekly media availability on May 27 that the incident did not take place in city schools and, therefore, is a federal matter over which he has no control.
Adams made the remarks in response to a report that the Bronx high school student — whom the outlet referred to by his first name, Dylan — was detained by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last Wednesday. The arrest marked the first time a city public school student has been detained during President Trump’s second term, which has relentlessly pushed to deport undocumented immigrants regardless of whether or not they have committed a crime.
Dylan was in the country legally, awaiting the outcome of his asylum claim under a program instituted by former President Biden, according to the report. He then attended his court date unaccompanied by an attorney and, without knowing it, gave up his legal protections, which allowed ICE to arrest him.
In response, the mayor emphasized that Dylan was detained outside of city schools and that his office did not coordinate with ICE in its action.
“People should really understand that this was not in a school building,” Adams said. “We don’t know what was the outcome of the court case. You show up to hearings for a reason, something happens during those hearings, we’re not responsible for them, we’re not in charge of them. So, I think that that’s a question that should be referred to federal authorities.”