Latest news with #GomesdaSilva
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE Detained A High Schooler Because They Were Looking For His Father, And People Are Absolutely Outraged
As President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration continues, there have been countless stories of ICE and other agencies detaining legal residents, people with no criminal records, and even minors. Related: Late last month, an 18-year-old Massachusetts high schooler named Marcelo Gomes da Silva became one of the thousands of people nationwide who have been taken into ICE custody. Gomes da Silva was arrested on his way to volleyball practice by agents who were looking for his father, according to CBS News. His lawyer says he entered the country legally from his home country of Brazil, but holds a long-expired student visa. "I was 7 years old. I don't know nothing about that stuff. I don't understand how it works," Gomes da Silva said of renewing his visa. Outside the detention facility after his release on bond from an immigration court judge, Gomes da Silva spoke to the media about the conditions he and other detainees experienced inside. He had been held in ICE's Boston field office in Burlington, Massachusetts; some lawmakers say the facility is being used improperly and that detainees are subjected to "abysmal" conditions there. "The facility is only meant to hold people for a short period of time before they are moved to actual detention centers. But with the Trump administration reportedly setting arrest quotas for ICE agents to meet, field offices not meant to be detention centers are apparently becoming overwhelmed with detainees," reported. "That place — it's not good. It's not good," the teen says in a clip of his interview posted by NBC10 Boston. "Ever since I got here, they had me in handcuffs. They put me downstairs, and I was in a room with a bunch of 35-year-old men," he says, adding that they put around 40 men in a small room. NBC10 Boston / Via Related: "We would barely get any attention from the people there. It'd be really hard. I haven't showered in six days, I haven't done anything," Gomes da Silva says. He told reporters that the only thing he could do was "thank God every day" and talk to other detainees about the Bible. "At the end of the day, this place isn't— it's not a good spot to be. Nobody should be in here," he goes on. "Most people down there are all workers. They got caught going to work. And these people have— these people have families, man, like they have kids to go home to," he says, getting choked up. NBC10 Boston / Via You can watch NBC's full clip of Gomes da Silva's interview here. Related: In another video prior to his release, a spokesperson for Gomes da Silva's family told media that there were "no beds" and "no food," and that he was "eating a lot of crackers." CBS News reported that the teen served as a translator for other people in the detention center and "cried when he informed them that their paperwork said they were being deported." The outlet also said that he "slept on a concrete floor with a metallic blanket and had to use the bathroom in front of 40 other men." The top comment read that "anyone can tell he's a good kid" and told Gomes da Silva that "God is using your life" in Portuguese. "I agree with him: nobody should be in there," one person commented. "No human should be treated like this," another wrote. Related: One person recapped the teenager's case, wondering why his detention was necessary. "He's a student, he's not a threat," they wrote. "But this is how our system treats young people who've grown up here, as if they're disposable." This person called Gomes da Silva's arrest and detention "A trauma he did not deserve," adding that "This is Trump's America." And finally, someone wrote, "i cant wrap my mind around people looking at another living and breathing human being and calling them 'illegal' and an 'alien' when most of them have never done anything wrong to you or the community." What do you think? Discuss in the comments. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
High Schooler's Six-Day ICE Detention Sparks Outrage
As President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration continues, there have been countless stories of ICE and other agencies detaining legal residents, people with no criminal records, and even minors. Late last month, an 18-year-old Massachusetts high schooler named Marcelo Gomes da Silva became one of the thousands of people nationwide who have been taken into ICE custody. Gomes da Silva was arrested on his way to volleyball practice by agents who were looking for his father, according to CBS News. His lawyer says he entered the country legally from his home country of Brazil, but holds a long-expired student visa. "I was seven years old. I don't know nothing about that stuff. I don't understand how it works," Gomes da Silva said of renewing his visa. Outside the detention facility after his release on bond from an immigration court judge, Gomes da Silva spoke to the media about the conditions he and other detainees experienced inside. He had been held in ICE's Boston field office in Burlington, Massachusetts; some lawmakers say the facility is being used improperly and that detainees are subjected to "abysmal" conditions there. "That place — it's not good. It's not good," the teen says in a clip of his interview posted by NBC10 Boston. "Ever since I got here, they had me in handcuffs. They put me downstairs, and I was in a room with a bunch of 35-year-old men," he says, adding that they put around 40 men in a small room. "We would barely get any attention from the people there. It'd be really hard. I haven't showered in six days, I haven't done anything," Gomes da Silva says. He told reporters that the only thing he could do was "thank God every day" and talk to other detainees about the Bible. "At the end of the day, this place isn't— it's not a good spot to be. Nobody should be in here," he goes on. "Most people down there are all workers. They got caught going to work. And these people have— these people have families, man, like they have kids to go home to," he says, getting choked up. You can watch NBC's full clip of Gomes da Silva's interview here. In another video prior to his release, a spokesperson for Gomes da Silva's family told media that there were "no beds" and "no food," and that he was "eating a lot of crackers." The top comment read that "anyone can tell he's a good kid" and told Gomes da Silva that "God is using your life" in Portuguese. "I agree with him: nobody should be in there," one person commented. "No human should be treated like this," another wrote. One person recapped the teenager's case, wondering why his detention was necessary. "He's a student, he's not a threat," they wrote. "But this is how our system treats young people who've grown up here, as if they're disposable." This person called Gomes da Silva's arrest and detention "A trauma he did not deserve," adding that "This is Trump's America." And finally, someone wrote, "i cant wrap my mind around people looking at another living and breathing human being and calling them 'illegal' and an 'alien' when most of them have never done anything wrong to you or the community." What do you think? Discuss in the comments.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE accuses Milford teen of ‘blatant lies' about his detainment
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is accusing a Milford teen of lying about the conditions he experienced while detained at an ICE field office in Burlington recently. Marcelo Gomes da Silva, an 18-year-old who lives in Milford, was arrested by ICE agents on May 31 and detained at the agency's field office for six days. He was released on June 5 after a judge ordered he be granted bond. On the day of his release, Gomes da Silva described to reporters what it was like being detained — saying he slept on concrete floors using a Mylar blanket, had no access to showers and was sometimes provided with crackers for a meal. 'It's not a good spot to be. Nobody should be in here,' Gomes da Silva said. A spokesperson for ICE, however, claims that Gomes da Silva has 'peddled blatant lies' about his detainment conditions. In a statement sent to MassLive on Monday, the spokesperson said that Gomes da Silva received three meals a day, including 'fresh catered sandwiches.' They also wrote that the teen had 'prompt off-site medical attention, despite no issues being identified' and that he thanked an officer — stating, 'everyone is so nice.' The spokesperson added that state reps. Seth Moulton, D-6th district, and Jake Auchincloss, D-4th district, both toured the Burlington facility following Gomes da Silva's release and 'had no concerns.' Robin Nice, one of Gomes da Silva's attorneys, pushed back on the spokesperson's statement. She said it was false that her client received sandwiches and claimed that he and other detainees were given food that consisted of crackers, beans and what she says was raw chicken. Read more: 'He's going to be set free' — supporters of Milford teen arrested by ICE cheer release Nice added that Gomes da Silva had asked ICE staff for Tylenol when he had a fever and a sore throat but was then told there was no medication at the facility. She also told MassLive that her client never said, 'everyone is so nice,' in reference to the officer. 'Rather, Marcelo has relayed that he and other detainees were treated with derision and indifference,' Nice wrote. 'After he was returned to the ICE Field Office from the medical facility, he was placed in isolation in a windowless room for 13 hours.' His lawyers also previously told MassLive about one incident their client recalled to them while in detainment. The teen said a guard pretended to open the door to the holding cell as if he was about to free the detainees, only to quickly close it while saying 'psyche,' prompting laughs from the other guards, according to his lawyers. Nice also provided a photo of the holding room where Gomes da Silva was detained. In the photo, detainees are lying down on the floor and on a bench wearing sheets that look like silver mylar, such as those runners use at the end of a race. Moulton's office provided MassLive with a statement from the congressman on Monday that disputes ICE's assertion that he had 'no concerns.' 'Putting words in the mouths of federal lawmakers is nothing compared to detaining an 18 year-old for six days on a concrete floor without a window, so I guess that's what we should expect,' Moulton said. 'As I said both before and after touring the facility, Burlington was designed for temporary holding and processing only, and it is grossly inappropriate for detaining anyone overnight, let alone an 18-year-old honors student.' A spokesperson for Auchincloss provided MassLive with comments the congressman made after he toured the facility on June 5. 'The facilities that Congressman Moulton and I saw are not facilities that anybody should be spending six days in, and we know that these officers are trying to uphold federal law and operate professionally, but they're not being supported properly by this administration,' Auchincloss said. In their statement, the ICE spokesperson claims that Gomes da Silva, along with his father and mother, are all residing in the United States illegally. Nice said on June 5 that the teen had come to the U.S. from Brazil on a visitor visa when he was younger than 7 years old. The visitor visa had turned into a student visa, which had lapsed years ago. She added that Gomes da Silva has an asylum application pending. Nice told MassLive she could not speak on behalf of the parents about whether they have any applications pending for citizenship. ICE had previously claimed that they were originally looking to arrest Gomes da Silva's father and not his son. The statement reads that Gomes da Silva's father was originally reported to them by local law enforcement for consistent reckless driving, claiming he has driven at speeds of more than 100 mph. Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino previously told MassLive that he could not comment about whether Milford Police passed on information to federal authorities about Gomes da Silva's father. 'Milford police only assist ICE with criminal arrests, not civil detainers and not illegal entry,' Tusino said. He did say, however, that he was upset about Gomes da Silva's arrest, stating it compromises ongoing investigations within the community. 'It harms the migrant community's willingness to come forward and disclose crimes to the police,' he said. He added that Gomes da Silva was never part of any criminal investigation. In an interview with NBC News, Gomes da Silva forcefully disputed the idea that his father was endangering residents. 'First of all, it's completely impossible to drive 100 mph in a residential area,' Gomes da Silva told NBC. 'They could have at least thought a little bit harder to make up a lie.' The 18-year-old also stated that his father has to stay home out of fear of being arrested but that his lawyers are working to address the situation. IronPigs even series with WooSox behind Andrew Painter's one-hit performance Worcester Red Sox score in extras, but lose to Lehigh Valley ICE moves mother taken in chaotic Worcester arrest across state lines Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘A lie': Interview with released Milford teen casts doubt on ICE statements on arrest
An interview with Milford teenager Marcelo Gomes da Silva, recently released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, is casting doubt on several statements ICE made about the arrest. ICE had claimed Gomes da Silva was not the target of the arrest, and that ICE agents were after his father, João Paulo Gomes-Pereira. But Gomes da Silva said in an interview published by NBC News on Wednesday that ICE agents never asked him about his father or his family when he was arrested. He added that ICE agents knew his name, that he was 18 and that he was heading to school. 'He (the ICE agent) said I was an illegal immigrant and put me in the car. I was in complete shock,' Gomes da Silva said in the interview. 'I didn't cry, I wasn't angry or anything. I didn't understand what was happening, I didn't understand what I did wrong. I was clueless.' Gomes da Silva made local and national headlines after ICE agents arrested him on May 31. The 18-year-old was driving in a car with members of his volleyball team when ICE agents pulled him over and made the arrest. For six days, he was detained at an ICE field office in Burlington. On June 5, an immigration judge ordered Gomes da Silva be granted bond, and he was subsequently released from custody. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, said during a press conference in Boston on June 2 that ICE agents stopped the car Gomes da Silva was in because it was his father's car. 'We were looking for his father — obviously, he's the father of the year, because he brought his son up here illegally as well," Lyons said June 2. In addition to new questions about whether the father was the target of the ICE action, the other part of Lyons' statement — that Gomes da Silva was brought to the U.S. illegally — is also in dispute. Gomes da Silva's attorney, Robin Nice, said on June 5 that the teen had come to the U.S. from Brazil on a visitor visa when he was younger than 7. The visitor visa had turned into a student visa, which had lapsed years ago. She added that Gomes da Silva has an asylum application pending. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that officials were looking for Gomes-Pereira because he had been identified as a 'known public safety threat' — a statement Gomes da Silva forcefully disputed. McLaughlin said that local authorities notified ICE that Gomes-Pereira drove at speeds over 100 mph through residential areas, 'endangering Massachusetts residents.' 'First of all, it's completely impossible to drive 100 mph in a residential area,' Gomes da Silva told NBC. 'They could have at least thought a little bit harder to make up a lie.' Read more: Milford High student released from ICE detention: 'Nobody should be in here' The 18-year-old also said his father has to stay home out of fear of being arrested but that his lawyers are working to address the situation. Gomes da Silva told NBC that he was born in Brazil but that he grew up in an American environment. He added that he wants to become an American citizen and stay in the country. Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino told MassLive on Wednesday that he was upset about Gomes da Silva's arrest, stating it compromises ongoing investigations within the community. 'It harms the migrant community's willingness to come forward and disclose crimes to the police,' he said. Tusino said he could not comment about whether Milford Police passed on information to federal authorities about Gomes da Silva's father. 'Milford police only assist ice with criminal arrests, not civil detainers and not illegal entry,' Tusino said. He added that Gomes da Silva was never part of any criminal investigation. A spokesperson for ICE did not provide comment as to whether they are still seeking to arrest Gomes da Silva's father. It was a normal day for Gomes da Silva as he returned to Milford High School Tuesday, according to his friend Fiona Lentini — as much as it could be after the teen was detained recently by federal immigration officials for almost a week. The two spoke for five minutes before classes, chatting about plans to play volleyball soon, Lentini told MassLive Tuesday. A sophomore at the high school, Lentini said her friend seemed happy to be back in school. 'He's good,' she said about Gomes da Silva. 'Same old Marcelo.' On Tuesday, Gomes da Silva returned to Milford High School to continue the remainder of his junior year, according to Lentini. She said it was nice to see her friend again. What Gomes da Silva is most excited about is to play volleyball again this summer, she said. 'Playing volleyball just brings us all closer since we all connect about our love for the sport,' Lentini said. 'My cousin has a net and in the summer we play there.' Gomes da Silva also got to see his girlfriend graduate from Milford High School last weekend, according to his cousin, Marcelo Bastos. Bastos told MassLive Tuesday that Gomes da Silva's mother, father and two younger siblings are also safe, with all five still living in Milford. 'They're pretty much OK,' Bastos said. 'There's no problem.' Bastos told MassLive that Gomes da Silva's father and mother were not born in America but Gomes da Silva's younger siblings were. He added that Nice plans to submit paperwork that would allow the mother and father to go outside their house without fear of arrest. He did not know what the paperwork in question was. Nice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday and Wednesday. As the family remains home, Bastos has been trying to help by delivering and leaving food and water at their doorstep. He added that the family's neighbors have also been making deliveries to their house, bringing them food, flowers and money. 'Everybody's doing a little bit,' he said. 'We do good.' Lentini said that her friend is happy to be back with his family but said it is hard knowing that his parents are still possibly in danger. 'Obviously, it's devastating to have to worry that your family may be torn apart,' she said. Anti-ICE protesters shut down Worcester City Council meeting Nate Eaton powers Worcester Red Sox to eighth consecutive win Horse racing ban in Central Mass. city looks to clear next hurdle Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How a Massachusetts town became a flashpoint for Trump's immigration crackdown
MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS − Immigrants in this blue-collar town say they are living in constant fear of ICE raids that have rounded up 1,500 undocumented people throughout Massachusetts. Among those arrested was Marcelo Gomes da Silva an 11th grader at Milford High School, whose story has drawn widespread attention for the way it throws into stark relief immigration-enforcement tensions that exist all over the country. "There's been very high levels of anxiety in the community about immigration enforcement for many months," says Milford High School Principal Joshua Otlin. Gomes da Silva's family, who brought him to the United States from Brazil at the age of 7, are just some of the thousands of immigrants from Latin America whose arrival has reshaped Milford in the last two decades. And now their community is in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation efforts. The fear is pervasive throughout the community, says Reggie Lima, a Brazilian American who on a recent day wore a Trump hat in Milford's Padaria Brasil Bakery. "Every day, it's on the back of everybody's mind. Nobody leaves home today without checking around, checking the windows, to see if ICE is outside," Lima says. Gomes Da Silva, 18, was arrested by ICE agents on May 31 when he was stopped on his way to volleyball practice. Federal officials said they targeted his father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira, who they say is undocumented and has a history of reckless driving. The next day, Gomes da Silva's girlfriend and the other seniors at Milford High School graduated under a cloud of angst. Not only was Gomes da Silva − the drummer in the school band performing that day − absent but so were two of the graduating students and the families of many others. "A lot of people's parents were very scared to go to graduation, because there were a lot of false rumors saying that immigration could be around school property," said an 18-year-old Brazilian American who just graduated. USA TODAY is withholding the names of high school students interviewed for this story, because many members of the community expressed fear that they or their family would be subject to arrest or deportation. "It was a very difficult day, but it's definitely going to be memorable, because right after graduation, the first thing that all my friends did, we walked with our teachers, our friends, in our in caps and gowns − I was in my heels − all the way down to town hall protesting for Marcelo," she added. "I heard many stories of people who didn't cheer for their children," for fear of being exposed to immigration authorities, said Colleen Greco, the mother of a volleyball teammate of Gomes da Silva's. Gomes da Silva was released on June 5 after posting a $2,000 bond set by an immigration judge that afternoon. His arrest drew immediate backlash and condemnation from members of Congress. If Milford isn't Any Town USA, it is at least Any Town New England. The Brutalist concrete high school is surrounded by ball fields and a sea of parking. The strip malls are filled with chain restaurants, including three Dunkin' Donuts. The historic downtown is centered around a wood-frame town hall with a cupola-crowned clock tower. Its environs are filled with wood siding-clad houses behind small lawns, some protected by white-picket fences. While the mainline Protestant churches − Episcopal, Methodist, Congregationalist, and Unitarian − reflect the British roots of the town's original settlers, a nearby Catholic church demonstrates its more recent immigrant history: once catering to the Irish and Italians who dominated the population in the 20th Century, it now offers services in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as English. "When I grew up in Milford, Milford was pretty indistinguishable from other suburbs in this part of Massachusetts," said Otlin, who graduated in 1996 from the high school where he's now principal. Back then, he said, it was "almost exclusively white." "Today Milford is very, very different than it was," he continued. "Most of our students identify as something other than white, native-born, English-speaking Americans. Here at the high school, 45% of our families need a translator to communicate with the school." According to the U.S. Census, 30% of Milford's 30,000 residents are foreign-born. The Census undercounts immigrants, who may be afraid to respond to the survey, according to experts and the Census Bureau itself. A 2023 Census Bureau report found 19.8% of noncitizens located in administrative records could not be matched to an address in the 2020 Census, compared to 5.4% of among citizens. Still, Census data show a massive surge in immigration: Since 2000, both the Hispanic population and the foreign-born population have tripled in Milford. The name Massachusetts might evoke liberal coastal elites, like the ones at Harvard that Trump is currently attacking with every weapon he can find. But Milford is 30 miles and a world away from the Ivy League campus. Just one-third of adults in Milford have a bachelor's degree, compared to 80% in Cambridge. And while it's easier to find a New York Yankees fan than a Republican in Harvard Yard, 42% of Milford voters went for Trump last year. "Massachusetts has the 6th highest foreign-born proportion in the country at 18%," wrote Mark Melnik, a researcher at the UMass Donahue Institute, part of the University of Massachusetts, in an email to USA TODAY. "Milford at 30% is higher than Boston (27%)!" In the late 19th Century, the local economy revolved around extracting the town's trademark pink granite, which is found in buildings as far away as Paris. In the mid-20th Century, Archer Rubber was a major employer. Now, it's the health care and biotechnology industry around Greater Boston. But even the white-collar economy needs manual laborers to build and maintain the houses and office parks. "For most of our immigrant families, they're working in the skilled trades, mostly in the construction trades," Otlin said. And on Main Street, many of the stores feature signage in Spanish and Portuguese and sell products from Latin America such as soccer jerseys and plantain leaves. Many of the longtime residents enthusiastically embrace the new diversity. "They have the best meat markets," Greco said. And others express their region's trademark tolerance. "I think he's a folk hero, and I'm behind him," said Tom, a middle-aged white neighbor in a baseball hat, who was passing Gomes da Silva's house on June 6. Gomes da Silva's friends streamed in and out, but no one answered the door for a reporter. "I think it's no different than when Irish moved in, in the late 1800s, and Italians moved in in the early 1900s," Tom, a lifelong Milford resident of Irish ancestry who declined to give his last name, added. "Only the laws have changed, but we're all human." Even before Gomes da Silva was picked up, the already-pervasive fear of immigration authorities led one of Marcelo's volleyball teammates to be in his car that day. "The night before, I had asked Marcelo for a ride to practice because, ironically enough, my mother wasn't going to work that Saturday and she asked me if I could get a ride with a friend because she's too scared of going outside and driving me to practice," said the friend. Two days after Trump's inauguration, a rumor circulated in the Milford High School community that ICE would be arresting undocumented immigrants at school the following day. Students say most of the school population was absent the next day, including native-born citizens who feared their parents could be arrested picking them up or dropping them off. "There was no one in the school, no one," said a 17-year-old female classmate of Gomes da Silva's. "My parents are the ones who drive me to school, going back and forth, if they were to get stopped on the way there," said the 18-year-old recent graduate, who stayed home from school that day. "Also I was just concerned, if (ICE) were to ever follow me back home and see where I live, and just camp out there one day. I was just concerned for the safety of my parents." "Everywhere is kind of crazy: Chelsea, Framingham," said Lima, the Brazilian American Trump supporter, referring to two other Massachusetts towns with large Latino immigrant populations. "You see (ICE) every day. I saw them this morning." "Now people are afraid of driving vans with letters on the top, because they are targeting vans and commercial vehicles," Lima, a construction worker, said. Since so many of the manual laborers are immigrants, ICE will "see a van with the letters on the top, like roofers," and target it for immigration enforcement, he said. "People, including me, are very scared to leave their homes and are afraid of getting stopped doing nothing," said Andres, an Ecuadoan immigrant who works in roofing and lives in Milford, in Spanish. "You don't see people in the streets in the mornings," said Ingrid Fernandes, a Brazilian immigrant who owns Padaria Brasil Bakery. "It's hurt a lot. Almost 80% of my customers aren't coming for two weeks." "My parents have been afraid to leave the house," said the female classmate of Gomes da Silva's, who is also Brazilian American. "Me and my sister have been doing the shopping because we're citizens." Others say their families are having groceries delivered. They liken the lifestyle to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees at Oliveira's Market, a grocery store selling Brazilian foods in downtown Milford, say business has been unusually slow in recent weeks, since the raids began, because their customers are afraid to go out. "ICE was looking initially for immigrant criminals, now they are targeting everyone," said an Oliveira's employee, who declined to give his name. Speaking in Portuguese via a translator, he added that he knows people who have been detained and deported. When a white reporter and photographer arrived at Oliveira's Market, a man on his way in from the parking lot turned around and left. At a variety store on Main Street, the elderly Hispanic woman behind the counter was so terrified by journalists asking questions that she began to cry. Nearly everyone in town had heard about Marcelo's case and the overwhelming sentiment was sympathetic to him. "It's a very sad story for everybody," Fernandes said. His six-day detention featured what his lawyer called "horrendous" conditions, including sleeping on a cement floor with no pillow and only a thin metallic blanket. Meals, he said at a press conference, often consisted of nothing but crackers. "He seemed thin," said Andrew Mainini, Gomes da Silva's volleyball coach, who saw him the night he was released. "As someone who works out with him and sees him daily, he looked thinner than just six days earlier. And it was pretty noticeable, in his face, specifically." ICE's media affairs office told USA TODAY Gomes da Silva was provided meals, including sandwiches. 'He was provided bedding, given access to hygiene including showers, and had access to his lawyer," said Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin in an emailed statement. ICE defends Gomes da Silva's arrest, noting that he wasn't the target of the operation but that anyone in the country illegally is subject to deportation. According to ICE, just over half of the immigrants recently arrested in Massachusetts have criminal convictions in the United States or abroad. 'ICE officers engaged in a targeted immigration enforcement operation of a known public safety threat and illegal alien, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira," McLaughlin said. "Local authorities notified ICE that this illegal alien has a habit of reckless driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour through residential areas endangering Massachusetts residents." "Officers identified the target's vehicle, and initiated a vehicle stop with the intention of apprehending Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira," McLaughlin continued. "Upon conducting the vehicle stop, officers arrested Marcelo Gomes-Da Silva, an illegally present, 18-year-old Brazilian alien and the son of the intended target. While ICE officers never intended to apprehend Gomes-DaSilva, he was found to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings, so officers made the arrest." In 2011, Milford resident Maureen Maloney suffered a horrific tragedy when her 23-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver who was in the country illegally. The driver also had a criminal record for assaulting a police officer in 2008. Maloney became an advocate for removing undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. She went on to campaign for Trump in 2016 and to serve for four years on the Republican state committee. In Maloney's view, while what happened to Marcelo is unfortunate "collateral damage," the ICE raids are beneficial because of the criminals they have caught. "If these raids save only one life or prevent only one more child from being sexually assaulted, it was worth it," Maloney said. "No matter how bad it was for Marcelo, and I'm sure it was traumatic for him, he'd probably rather that than having lost a sibling or been sexually abused as a young child." Even some Brazilian Americans agree. "It's needed because we've been having a lot of criminals all over the place," Lima said. "They (racially) profile. They look at you, you look Spanish, you speak with an accent, yeah: 'where's your papers?'" Lima noted. "But it's complicated," he added. "By doing that, they've caught like murderers, people who committed crimes in Brazil." Maloney argues that responsibility for the large number of non-criminals picked up in the ICE raids lies with Healey, the state legislature and a 2017 state court decision limiting immigration-enforcement cooperation with ICE. "As far as what occurred with Marcelo, this is a direct result of Massachusetts' sanctuary policies and Gov. Healey refusing to cooperate with ICE, because if ICE could apprehend these criminal aliens in a more controlled environment, we wouldn't be having nonviolent, noncriminal aliens being picked up as collateral damage," she said. Gov. Healey disputed those claims in a statement sent to USA TODAY by her office. 'Massachusetts law enforcement regularly partners with federal authorities to keep our communities safe," she said. "Our Department of Correction already has an agreement to notify ICE when someone in their custody is scheduled to be released. But instead of focusing on removing criminals, the Trump Administration and ICE are arresting people with no criminal records who live here, work here, and have families here. ICE's actions are creating considerable fear in our communities and making us all less safe.' The high school community responded to its shock and upset over Gomes da Silva's arrest by quickly organizing in opposition to his detention and possible deportation. On June 2, the first day of classes after Gomes da Silva's arrest, hundreds of students staged a walkout and a rally in protest. "The students were exemplary," Otlin said. "It was a very emotionally intense experience for the students and everyone who was there to bear witness to it. I've worked in public schools for 25 years, this is my 15th year as an administrator. I've never seen anything like it. Students sobbing and chanting and praying together. Students coming up to the microphone and speaking from their hear to the press and doing so in incredibly powerful ways." The next day, the boys' volleyball team's playoff volleyball game brought hundreds of students, teachers, and community members in white t-shirts with "Free Marcelo" written on them. "People came to support the volleyball team and people came to be together," Otlin said. "This was and remains a traumatic event for hundreds of young people and parents and families in our community, and I think people desperately wanted to come together and be together." The team lost, however. Coach Mainini said the volleyball team's goal is to support by Gomes da Silva by "maintaining the community." "Any time he's with the team, any time he's active, he's not going to be thinking of the challenges ahead of him," Mainini said. "And that's one of the best things we can offer him." Meanwhile, other Milford High School students and recent alumni still have to contend with the omnipresent threat of immigration enforcement descending upon their family. "My parents have had the conversation with me about moving to Brazil, like what would happen in case something were to ever happen," said Gomes da Silva's female classmate. "Me personally, I don't want to go to Brazil, because I've never been there. I don't know what it's like. This is what I know. This is the only thing I know. I've never really traveled outside the country." "And like, I don't want to leave my parents, I wouldn't want to leave my parents, but I'd stay for my last year of high school, to finish high school with my sister. I wouldn't want to leave my mom and dad, but I wouldn't want to leave my home, to leave the United States. And it's a very scary and weird conversation to have with them." "Sadly, that's the reality we have to live: I have to think about whether I'm going to come home and my parents won't be there," the recent graduate said. Contributing: John Walker, Kevin Theodoru, USA TODAY NETWORK. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 11th grader's ICE arrest spotlights a town reshaped by immigration
