Sen. Chuck Schumer announced on social media that Dylan Lopez Contreras, 20, had been freed.
Contreras was detained by ICE at a court hearing in Lower Manhattan on May 21, 2025.
He was the first high school student in New York City known to be detained by ICE since President Donald Trump took office for his second term.
In September, a New Jersey immigration judge ordered that Contreras be deported.
His attorneys planned to appeal the decision, saying he was wrongfully detained, was in the U.S. legally, and never missed a court hearing.
His detention sparked demonstrations, including at the steps of the city's education department in Lower Manhattan, where demonstrators rallied and demanded Contreras's release.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that the city was "overjoyed that Dylan has finally been released."
Gov Kathy Hochul said she urged the release of Contreras when she met with Tom Homan earlier this month.
"Earlier this month, I met with Tom Homan to make an appeal for ICE and federal law enforcement to focus on real threats and to stop the attacks on law-abiding people who call New York home," Hochul said. "As part of this meeting I urged the release of Dylan Lopez Contreras, a young public school student who was unjustly taken by federal immigration agents last year. Today, after 10 long, painful months in ICE detention, Dylan is finally being reunited with his family."
Hochul went on to say that "The federal government must work with New York to return all those who have been wrongfully taken and separated from their families."
Contreras' mother Raiza has appeared on Sen. Schumer's social media explaining that she and her son believed they were taking all the correct steps to seek asylum, and she missed him terribly.
She released a statement thanking those "who made the impossible possible."
"I am grateful to everyone who, in one way or another, played a part in offering support and strength, and were always there," said Raiza Contreras, Dylan's mother. "Very soon, my son will be back with his siblings and me-it is both a relief and a blessing."
Contreras' legal team says it should not have taken this long for his release.
"Legally, he's essentially back where he started. But he lost almost a year of his life being imprisoned," said New York Legal Assistance Group spokesperson Kristin Kepplinger.
Contreras was attending a Bronx high school that caters to older newcomers.
The city's schools chancellor says Contreras' school community has missed him, and that "his strength through this unimaginable time is not something any child should have to bear. Time meant for learning, laughter, and growth, was taken from him."
It's not clear when Contreras might return to school, but his legal team told Eyewitness News he wants to graduate and study computer engineering in college.
They said they still have legal questions about the reasons for his detention and release, but that he will pick up where he left off requesting asylum from Venezuela.
His last 10 months in a Pennsylvania prison have been especially hard on his mom and two younger siblings.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More New York City news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube