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Immigration judge grants bond to Massachusetts teen arrested on his way to volleyball practice

Immigration judge grants bond to Massachusetts teen arrested on his way to volleyball practice

CNN2 days ago

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An immigration judge on Thursday granted bond to a Massachusetts high school student who was arrested on his way to a volleyball practice last weekend.
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, who came to the US from Brazil at age 7, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday. Authorities have said the agents were looking for the Milford High School teenager's father, who owns the car Gomes da Silva was driving at the time and had parked in a friend's driveway.
'This kid is as clean as a whistle,' his lawyer, Robin Nice, told reporters after a hearing in Chelmsford. Gomes da Silva, who was expected to be released Thursday afternoon on $2,000 bond, appeared via video from elsewhere in Massachusetts.
She said Gomes da Silva slept on the cement floor of a room with 25 to 35 men most of the time he was detained with no windows, no time outside and no permission to shower.
'He's looking forward to eating Snickers and chicken nuggets when he is released,' she said.
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said earlier this week that 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.
Gomes da Silva initially entered the country on a visitor visa and was later issued a student visa that has since lapsed, Nice said. She described him as deeply rooted in his community and a dedicated member of both the school marching band and a band at his church.
A federal judge considering Gomes da Silva's request to be released while his 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.
The government sought permission Wednesday to move Gomes da Silva to a detention facility in a different New England state, Nice said, a move his lawyers opposed because they feared it would delay the immigration hearing. A judge quickly denied the request.
'I love my son. We need Marcelo back home. It's no family without him,' João Paulo Gomes Pereira said in a video released Wednesday by his son's attorney. 'We love America. Please, bring my son back.'
Students at Milford High staged a walkout Monday to protest his detainment. 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.
The immigration judge set a placeholder hearing date for a couple of weeks from Thursday, but it might take place months from that, Nice said.
'We're optimistic that he'll have a future in the United States,' she said.

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Trump vs. Harvard has international athletes scrambling for answers
Trump vs. Harvard has international athletes scrambling for answers

Washington Post

time20 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

Trump vs. Harvard has international athletes scrambling for answers

Not long after President Donald Trump's first attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students last month, the school's men's soccer team, along with athletic teams all over campus, received a note from the coaching staff. They were monitoring the situation, the coaches said. The school was monitoring it, too. Everyone, it seemed, was monitoring a situation that had gone haywire in mid-May, but that provided no immediate clarity on what it meant for athletes with student visas. Could they stay at Harvard, for their classes and for next season? Could the seniors graduate? How about going home to visit their families this summer? 'It's the type of thing that creates this general feeling of uncertainty and unease and tension around campus,' said Jan Riecke, who was a senior captain on last season's team and graduated last month. (Riecke lived in Switzerland and Germany before attending Harvard, but he was born in the United States to German parents and is a U.S. citizen). 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Based on hometowns, in the past two semesters, Harvard athletes represented roughly three dozen countries, Canada and Britain by far the most common. Ten out of 30 men's soccer players last season had international hometowns listed. Other teams, including women's soccer and field hockey, had even more athletes from abroad. On seven Harvard teams in The Post's analysis, athletes with international hometowns accounted for more than 30 percent of the roster. Those teams would struggle to compete without them. An athletic department spokesman declined to make any officials available for an interview, pointing The Post to university statements calling Trump's attacks illegal and retaliatory. More than a half dozen coaches and dozens of current and recently graduated Harvard athletes did not respond or declined to comment, including several who cited fears of retaliation from the Trump administration. 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As a last hurrah, they wanted to show each other the countries they grew up in. It has made Riecke think about the efforts to remove international students and athletes from Harvard, which would have made it impossible for him to make lifelong friends from other cultures. He hopes the worst developments have passed. 'It's brought people together as well,' Riecke said. 'You feel like you just pat someone on the shoulder once more than you would before, tell them: 'Hey, hopefully it's going to be all right. We're here for you.' I think that's the response we've gotten from a lot of the community.'

Trump Administration Live Updates: U.S. Brings Abrego Garcia Back From El Salvador to Face Criminal Charges
Trump Administration Live Updates: U.S. Brings Abrego Garcia Back From El Salvador to Face Criminal Charges

New York Times

time21 minutes ago

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Trump Administration Live Updates: U.S. Brings Abrego Garcia Back From El Salvador to Face Criminal Charges

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Vance Says He Hopes Musk Returns to Fold After Public Feud With Trump
Vance Says He Hopes Musk Returns to Fold After Public Feud With Trump

Yahoo

time22 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Vance Says He Hopes Musk Returns to Fold After Public Feud With Trump

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