Thursday, October 1, 2026
A Roosevelt High School senior is being held in federal immigration custody after his arrest earlier this month, leaving classmates, teachers and district officials shaken as they wait to learn whether he will be allowed to return to school.
Gendri Yovani Ortiz Paredes, 18, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after being arrested by Nassau County Police Department “designated immigration officers” and charged with misdemeanor larceny. He is the second Roosevelt student to be detained by ICE this year.
Senior Alvaro Castro Velasquez was arrested in May, just weeks before graduation.
School district officials said they were notified shortly after the arrest.
“Our district first became aware of the situation involving Gendri through communication with his family and members of our school community,” Superintendent Shawn Wightman said in a statement. “While we understand that this matter arises from a legal situation outside the district’s authority, our role as educators is to focus on the well-being of our students and their right to pursue their education.”
Wightman described Ortiz Paredes as a dedicated student who had become deeply connected to the Roosevelt community.
“Gendri has been a respectful, committed, and hardworking student throughout his time at Roosevelt,” Wightman said. “His teachers and classmates know him as a young man who shows perseverance, kindness, and a genuine desire to succeed. We remain hopeful that he will be given the opportunity to return to his family and to Roosevelt so he can complete his high school education. Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn from mistakes, grow, and work toward becoming a responsible and contributing member of society.”
A teacher's perspective
For Carlos Flores, an English as a Second Language teacher who has worked closely with Ortiz Paredes for two years, the news was both personal and painful.
Flores said he met Ortiz Paredes last school year, while assisting in a math class, and became his ESL teacher. Over time, their relationship grew.
“To be honest with you, he’s a great student. I consider him a friend,” Flores said. “And unfortunately, what happened to him shouldn’t really prevent him from graduating, because he was on course to graduate next June.”
Flores described Ortiz Paredes as “very respectful, honest, hardworking,” someone who “got along great with everybody, even with the other teachers, too.”
He was active in sports, Flores said — particularly soccer — and well-liked around the school.
Flores confirmed that Ortiz Paredes has been at Roosevelt for about two years, and was undecided about his future after graduation, though he talked about pursuing a trade. “He wasn’t, like, sure about (whether) he wanted to attend college or not,” Flores said. “I know he talked about a trade, but he wasn’t sure what kind of trade, either, like, electrician or mechanic. But I know, at the end, he wanted to help his family, and he wanted to build — you know, he wanted to have roots here.”
When he learned of Ortiz Paredes’s detention, Flores said, he was stunned.
“I was pretty much shocked and pretty saddened,” he said. As a Hispanic educator and parent, Flores said, the situation struck a nerve. “This is pretty much like the worst nightmare anybody could ever have,” he said. “Just to see, like, not knowing what will happen next — I couldn’t even imagine what (his) mom (is) going through right now.”
Flores said he wrote a letter of support for Ortiz Paredes at the request of guidance counselors. “Pretty much everything I’ve been saying to you — that he was an excellent student, excellent friend, hard worker, dedicated, and that he deserves a chance to come back and graduate.”
A community still ‘shaken'
The situation was for many a repeat of the incident last spring, when Velasquez was detained.
“I think we’re all shaken because this happened … last year,” Flores said. “It’s almost like we’ve seen it before, and we’re still shocked at what is still happening in this community.”
The school district, Wightman said, is committed to supporting students who may be affected by the news.
“We recognize that situations like this can heighten concerns for our families, and we are committed to supporting all of our students through reassurance, open communication, and access to resources,” he said in his statement. “Roosevelt is a community that cares deeply for its children, and we will continue to stand by our students, especially when they are navigating unexpected or difficult challenges.”
Flores said that counseling is available for any students who need to talk. If Ortiz Paredes were to return, he said, it would be meaningful not just for him, but for the entire school.
“It would just say to the students that, you know, change is here,” he said. “And it could be a symbol that what happened to one student will not automatically happen to the rest of them.” Ortiz Parede’s mother declined to comment when reached by the Herald.
Ortiz Paredes is expected to have another court appearance in the coming days that may determine whether he can remain in the United States.
