Queens High School Student Detained by ICE Reunited with Family in NYC

Emotional Reunion at Port Authority

• 😢 A 19-year-old high school student from Queens was reunited with his family at Port Authority after over a month in an ICE detention facility in Texas.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The reunion was described as emotional, with the mother, father, and even young siblings present, a rare sight amid current immigration crackdowns.

Detention and Release Details

• 🗓️ The student, Derliss Toakisa, was arrested on June 4th after attending an immigration court appearance in Manhattan and spent over a month detained.
• ⚖️ An immigration judge granted his release on a $20,000 bond, with attorneys arguing he is not a danger to society, is a student, and has no criminal record.
• 🚌 He arrived at Port Authority after a 38-hour bus ride from a detention center in Livingston, Texas.

Asylum Seekers and Background

• 🇪🇨 The teen, his parents, and siblings came to the US in March 2024 seeking asylum from Puhili, Ecuador, due to harm experienced as indigenous members of the Panzalo tribe.
• 🛂 They were initially detained at the border but allowed to enter the country with a June 2025 court date.
• ⚠️ The student was detained without notice on the day he went to court to litigate his case.

Academic and Legal Status

• 📚 Despite being detained, he is an 11th-grade student at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, and was recognized as the most improved student.
• 🧑‍⚖️ His attorneys are working to have his ongoing asylum case heard in New York City, and his family also has an ongoing asylum case.
• ❤️ Teachers described him as a loving, kind, and hardworking kid who shows up for others.