Healey meets with recently detained Milford teen, gives him beaded rosary blessed by Pope Francis

Boston Globe

15 hours ago

'He blessed them?' Gomes asked Healey. '
'Holy moly,' the teen said. 'That's crazy.'
In an emotional conversation that lasted about an hour, the two discussed their love for Massachusetts and the US constitution, excitement for the upcoming World Cup, and the experiences Gomes had while in detainment at the US immigration field office in Burlington, which has doubled as a holding center amid a surge in ICE arrests.
Marcony Almeida-Barros, Deputy Chief of Staff for Access and Opportunity gives Marcelo Gomes da Silva a tour of the State House in Boston on June 13.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
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Healey asked Gomes about his time in detention, including what he ate and how he slept. The teen described meals of undercooked chicken and 'plastic cheese,' the concrete floors of the small cell he shared with dozens of other men, and the aluminum sheet he used as a blanket.
Gomes told her he didn't have access to toiletries.
'No soap?' Healy asked. 'No,' Gomes replied. 'No toothbrush?' she asked.
Gomes said he eventually was given a toothbrush, but no toothpaste. After a few days, the detained men were given a small tube to share, he said.
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The teen told the governor he translated English-only documents to other men detained and shared food whenever possible.
Raised in Milford,
He also described
the day he was arrested, detailing the cuffs around his wrists, ankles, and waist, as well as the ride from his friend's driveway to the facility.
'I find beauty in humanity, that [people] always find optimism, even though they are in a horrible place,' Gomes said.
'We'd play tic-tac-toe on the floor.' Gomes said.
'Using what?' Healey asked.
'Bottle caps,' he replied.
Marcelo Gomes da Silva meets with Governor Maura Healey at the State House on Friday.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Gomes and his family came to the United States
when he was 6 on a visa that later expired.
After Gomes's arrest, ICE officials said they were looking for his father João Paulo
Gomes Pereira instead, alleging the father of three was spotted by local authorities driving recklessly at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour through residential areas.
No court records were found to indicate any arrests or tickets for speeding. Instead, records show Gomes Pereira was stopped for running a stop sign and driving without a license in July 2023. The charges were dismissed on recommendation of the probation department the following November. He paid $100 in court costs.
Since President Trump took office,
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Earlier this week,
While sitting next to Healey, Gomes FaceTimed his parents, who thanked the governor for her support while Gomes was in detention.
'He's a very special young man,' Healey said to Gomes's parents. 'So kind, so humble, and so smart. We were just talking about the constitution.'
'We love Massachusetts,' Gomes Pereira, Gomes's father, told Healey.
'As Governor, that makes me really happy,' Healey replied.
Gomes, who still faces deportation, said he plans to apply for asylum.
Gomes da Silva takes a selfie with Governor Maura Healey at the State House in Boston on June 13.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Marcela Rodrigues can be reached at