Family of teen arrested on his way to volleyball practice asks immigration officials to release him
The family of an 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student arrested on his way to volleyball practice pleaded with immigration officials to release him Wednesday.
'I love my son. We need Marcelo back home. It's no family without him,' João Paulo Gomes Pereira said in a video released by his son's attorney. 'We love America. Please, bring my son back.'
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who came to the U.S. from Brazil at age 7, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday. Authorities have said the agents were looking for the teenager's father, who owns the car Gomes da Silva was driving at the time.
'Like any local law enforcement officer, if you encounter someone that has a warrant or … he's here illegally, we will take action on it,' Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told reporters Monday.
Gomes da Silva initially entered the country on a visitor visa and was later issued a student visa that has since lapsed, said his attorney, Robin Nice. She described him as deeply rooted in his community and a dedicated member of both the Milford High School marching band and a band at his church.
'The actions by ICE do not make the community safer,' she said in a statement. 'They just sow fear through the immigrant community.'
A federal judge considering Gomes da Silva's request to be released while the immigration case proceeds has given the government until June 16 to respond and has ordered that Gomes da Silva not be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours' notice given to the court. A hearing in immigration court is scheduled for Thursday.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said ICE officers were targeting a 'known public safety threat' and that Gomes da Silva's father 'has a habit of reckless driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour through residential areas.'
'While ICE officers never intended to apprehend Gomes da Silva, he was found to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings, so officers made the arrest,' she said in a statement.
The video released Wednesday shows Gomes da Silva's parents and younger siblings in the teen's bedroom. His sister describes watching movies with her brother and enjoying food he cooks for her, including 'chicken nuggets in the air fryer.'
'I miss everything about him,' she said.
'When he gets back, I will give him a really big hug,' Gomes da Silva's younger brother says. 'But ICE, please get him out. Please.'
The arrest has sparked outrage among Democratic officials, including Gov. Maura Healey, who demanded information about his location and whether he is being afforded due process.
'They need to let him go,' Healey said in a video posted Tuesday on the social platform X. 'Marcelo belongs in school, not in a detention center.'
Other supporters wore white and packed the stands of the high school gymnasium Tuesday night, when the volleyball team dedicated a match to their missing teammate.
"We will continue to pray and fight for our brother,' the team said in an Instagram post ahead of the match.
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