ICE Detention: Bronx Student Unveils 'Psychological Torture' Inside US Prison

The Trump administration is determined to carry out its mass deportation programme, an agenda that spares no one. That includes students such as Dylan Lopez Contreras, a 20-year-old who has been holed up at the Moshannon Valley ICE processing centre in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, since May 2025.

Contreras, who mysteriously disappeared from his class at a small high school in the Bronx, drew attention last year. It was learned that the 20-year-old was among the first New York public school students to be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

His plight surprised many, mostly his friends. Along with five of his classmates, Contreras has been confined to the facility for months now. Despite claims of providing decent living conditions, the Venezuelan native shared how this was not the case.

Fighting for Survival

Despite the government's insistence that people held at detention facilities are living in acceptable conditions, the tale of Contreras hardly comes close to it.

The 20-year-old spoke to The Guardian, and Dylan's revelations were gut-wrenching. He admits that living at the detention centre was stressful and uncomfortable. Aside from that, he also shared how he had to deal with discrimination, particularly from guards who treated them badly.

'There are often many conflicts over things as simple and trivial as snoring or leaving a small piece of trash. Here we are living together with people from different cultures, and on top of that we also have to tolerate the guards, who are often racist and mistreat us,' Contreras shared.

Given those stories, it was hardly surprising that depression would follow. Dylan admits that it was something he had to battle and keeping himself busy was the key.

'If you want stress and depression not to take over, you have to find ways to occupy and distract your mind,' he said.

He shared how others would turn to common activities such as drawing or painting. On his part, he would keep his mind busy with word games, board games and reading books.

He admits that talking to his family and friends was something he misses the most. People held at the facility are allowed to make phone calls as they please. The only hitch is that the charges from these calls are charged to their credit.

It would have been easier for him if he still had his mobile phone to hand. Unfortunately, this was confiscated, cutting off an easy means of communication he once had.

Despite his plight, Dylan tries to keep an open mind. He admitted he is clueless about what the future holds. He wished his family and friends well, adding that he hopes they do not have to go through the same harrowing ordeal he is experiencing now.

Inhumane Treatment is Real

The case of Dylan is only one of many that teenagers have had to deal with. Fending off depression is a must although not all may be as strong as Contreras.

In a report by the Associated Press, there was the case of a 13-year-old held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Even before she got there, she was already dealing with issues. Among them was learning that her younger sister was abused by a family member.

This was a mental burden she had to carry, a reason why she was prescribed medication to keep her anxiety in check. However, she had not been regularly taking her medicine, which worsened her mental state.

After finding a worm in one of her meals, she refused to eat anything at the facility. Her mother, Andrea Armero, admitted that her daughter didn't want to live anymore, preferring to die rather than to live in confinement.

The teen attempted suicide with a plastic knife and by repeatedly hitting her head. After temporarily being put into isolation, the family was deported on 11 February back to Colombia after a judge ordered them removed.

There are likely to be more stories similar to Contreras and the 13-year-old girl. The administration is unsurprisingly denying these claims, although the tales are rapidly piling up and coming out in the open.

The Trump administration is bent on carrying out its controversial mass deportation programme. The only problem is that the people tasked to implement it hardly care about the humanitarian implications.