Venezuelan High Schooler Legally Entered the US to Seek Asylum. Then ICE Detained Him at Immigration Court

Venezuelan Student Detainted_05282025_1 — A Venezuelan asylum-seeking high school student lost his protections, given under the Biden administration, after attending an immigration court hearing in New York last week. YouTube/CBS New York

A Venezuelan high school student who arrived in the U.S. seeking asylum in April 2024, during President Joe Biden's term, was detained by federal immigration authorities following an immigration court hearing on May 21.

Dylan is a 20-year-old student at Ellis Prep High School who entered the States with permission to seek asylum under policies enacted during then-President Biden's administration, CBS News reported. Through the program, Dylan was granted protected status, meaning he could apply for work and driver's learn permits, while he awaited his court date.

Dylan enrolled in a high school program for older newcomers, despite graduating in Venezuela, because he wanted to attend college in the U.S. He saved enough money as a delivery driver while attending English and preparatory classes to move his mother and his two younger siblings out of a homeless shelter and into their own apartment.

However, everything changed when asylum-seeking Dylan was detained last week. A spokesperson for New York Legal Assistance Group stated the young man's detention "robs him of the opportunity to pursue that relief with the full protections afforded to him under the law."

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disagreed, writing in a statement that Dylan is "an illegal alien from Venezuela who illegally entered the U.S. more than one year ago. Under the Biden administration, he was encountered at the border and released into the country."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a separate statement that the 20-year-old student, who has no criminal history, is subject to expedited removal because Biden "chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, meanwhile, refused to intervene on Dylan's behalf, claiming he is "limited on what coordination" he can do.

He reiterated, however, that Dylan's detention did not occur at his school after some students expressed concern.

"We don't coordinate with ICE on civil enforcement. So, you know what we know," Adams told CBS News.