A quiet Saturday morning in the small town of Milford turned into a storm of controversy when 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes, a high school student and volleyball player, was suddenly picked up by ICE agents on his way to practice. Marcelo, a junior at Milford High School, had just jumped into the car with three teammates when unmarked vehicles pulled them over. In a flash, he was arrested and taken into custody, CBS News reported.
It turned out agents were originally after his dad. ICE said the vehicle Marcelo was in was registered under his father’s name, who they claim is an undocumented immigrant wanted for removal. “I didn’t say he was dangerous, I said he was in this country illegally, and we’re not going to walk away from anybody,” said Todd Lyons, acting ICE director. Marcelo’s father has not yet turned himself in.
Marcelo’s lawyer, Miriam Conrad, is pushing for his immediate release. In a court filing, she pointed out he has no criminal history whatsoever and came to the US from Brazil on a student visa back in 2012. Though that visa has expired, she says he intends to apply for asylum. A federal judge has since issued an emergency order stopping ICE from moving him out of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours, according to WCVB.
The case has caused serious waves in the community, with many wondering how the Trump-era immigration crackdown, which was supposed to target “the worst of the worst,” ended up snatching a teenager heading to volleyball practice.
Elizabeth Grady, a parent in Milford, didn’t hold back. “His parents are terrified, his classmates are terrified, his teammates are terrified, and students shouldn’t be terrified going to volleyball practice; this is not the United States of America that we signed up for,” she told Boston 25 News.
Hundreds rallied in support of Marcelo on Sunday. More than a thousand residents, including students still in their graduation robes, turned up. Marcelo, a member of the school band, had been set to play drums at the ceremony. “He’s been here for 13 years. This is all he knows. Milford and Massachusetts are all he knows,” said his cousin Ana Julia Araujo.
Local authorities are just as furious. Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino criticised ICE for carrying out the arrest without even letting the local police know. “We want an open dialogue with the federal government about who’s getting detained, why they’re getting detained,” he said. “We don’t want people just coming into town and being detained or arrested solely because they’re here illegally.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also slammed the arrest, calling it “disturbing and outrageous.” She’s now demanding answers from ICE about Marcelo’s arrest, his whereabouts, and whether his rights are being respected. “My heart goes out to the Milford community on what was supposed to be a celebratory graduation day,” she said. “The Trump Administration continues to create fear in our communities, and it’s making us all less safe.”
In response, a Department of Homeland Security official claimed Marcelo was simply caught up in a targeted operation aimed at his father, who they say has a history of reckless driving. While Marcelo wasn’t the intended target, they confirmed he remains in ICE custody as an undocumented immigrant and is now facing removal proceedings.
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