Massachusetts high school volleyball team rallies around teammate detained by immigration agents
BOSTON (AP) — A high school volleyball team in Massachusetts is asking fans to wear white to their match Tuesday night to show support for a teammate who has been detained by federal immigration authorities.
'Our game on June 3rd will be played in honor of Marcelo. We will continue to pray and fight for our brother,' the Milford High School boys volleyball team said in an Instagram post.
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a junior born in Brazil, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday on his way to volleyball practice. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Monday that 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,' he said when reporters asked about the teen.
Asked why ICE would detain an 18-year-old with no criminal record, Lyons answered, 'I didn't say he was dangerous. I said he's in this country illegally and we're not going to walk away from anybody.'
Gomes da Silva has filed a request in federal court seeking to be released as his immigration case proceeds. A judge on Monday gave the government two weeks to respond and ordered that Gomes da Silva not be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours' notice given to the court.
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. The superintendent of Milford schools said the district plays no part in immigration enforcement and supports all families, including immigrants.
Hundreds of students at the school staged a walkout Monday, holding signs reading 'Free our friend' and 'America was built by immigrants.' Teachers will be at Tuesday night's volleyball game along with other community members who support Gomes da Silva's release, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Teachers Association said.
'The Massachusetts Teachers Association condemns ICE's cruel and inhumane actions in the strongest possible terms,' the union said in a statement. 'We call on leaders at every level to ensure our schools remain safe spaces of learning, belonging and safety for all students — not hunting grounds for ICE agents.'
___
Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Warren, Wyden warn Trump policies could ‘decimate retirees' savings'
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) are pressing the Trump administration over the impact the president's sweeping trade policies will have on the finances of retirees and people close to retirement. 'The economic chaos triggered by President Trump's disastrous tariff policy has the potential to decimate retirees' savings,' they wrote in a letter to the White House on Friday that was obtained by The Hill. 'Simultaneously, the Trump Administration has taken a wrecking ball to the Social Security Administration (SSA), limiting seniors' access to their hard-earned benefits.' 'In doing this, the Trump Administration is making it harder for seniors across the country to make ends meet,' they added. Warren, 75, is the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Wyden, 76, is the top Democrat on the Finance Committee. The duo addressed the letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. The White House didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Fidelity Investments, the largest provider of 401(k) plans in the U.S., reported this week that average 401(k) balances fell 3 percent to $127,100 during the first three months of the year. It said average individual retirement account (IRA) balances fell 4 percent to $121,983. The financial services giant said the slumps were primarily 'a result of market swings,' which have been widely attributed to Trump's unpredictable shifts on tariffs this year. 'President Trump's trade policy is creating economic chaos,' Warren and Wyden wrote in their letter to Cabinet officials, citing recent remarks from the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Markets Committee and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell about the nation's economic outlook amid Trump's tariff swings. 'Of the 57 million retirees in this country, 77 percent rely on a combination of their savings — often in the form of a 401(k) — and Social Security benefits,' they continued in the letter. Their letter highlighted cuts to the SSA from the White House's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Dozens of Social Security offices across the country are expected to close this year as part of DOGE's federal government makeover. The senators have asked Trump officials to provide them with details by Monday on whether the administration has conducted analyses of how the tariff policies are impacting retirees and inflation, as well as how DOGE cuts will impact the ability to access retirement benefits and whether the administration plans to offer additional support on seniors living on fixed incomes. The White House said earlier this week that the administration sent letters to countries to remind them that the president wants to broker more favorable trade deals while his tariffs are temporarily paused. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump once opened the door to the LGBTQ+ community. Now activists say he's their top threat
WASHINGTON (AP) — When he first ran for office, Donald Trump appeared to be a new kind of Republican when it came to gay rights. Years earlier, he overturned the rules of his own Miss Universe pageant to allow a transgender contestant to compete. He said Caitlyn Jenner could use any bathroom at Trump Tower that she wanted. And he was the first president to name an openly gay person to a Cabinet-level position. But since returning to office this year, Trump has engaged in what activists say is an unprecedented assault on the LGBTQ+ community. The threat from the White House contrasts with World Pride celebrations taking place just blocks away in Washington, including a parade and rally this weekend. 'We are in the darkest period right now since the height of the AIDS crisis,' said Kevin Jennings, who leads Lambda Legal, a longtime advocacy organization. 'I am deeply concerned that we're going to see it all be taken away in the next four years.' Trump's defenders insist the president has not acted in a discriminatory way, and they point to public polling that shows widespread support for policies like restrictions on transgender athletes. 'He's working to establish common sense once again,' said Ed Williams, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBT conservatives. Harrison Fields, the principal deputy press secretary at the White House, said, 'the overall MAGA movement is a big tent welcome for all and home to a large swath of the American people.' 'The president continues to foster a national pride that should be celebrated daily, and he is honored to serve all Americans,' Fields said. Presidential actions were widely expected Trump made anti-transgender attacks a central plank of his campaign reelection message as he called on Congress to pass a bill stating there are 'only two genders' and pledged to ban hormonal and surgical intervention for transgender minors. He signed an executive order doing so in January. His rally speeches featured a spoof video mocking transgender people and their place in the U.S. military. Trump has since banned them outright from serving. And although June is recognized nationally as Pride month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week that Trump has 'no plans for a proclamation.' 'I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed,' she added, making no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity. Williams described Pride activities as a progressive catch-all rather than a civil rights campaign. 'If you're not in the mood to protest or resist the Trump administration,' he said, 'Pride is not for you.' Trump declined to issue Pride Month proclamations in his first term, but did recognize the celebration in 2019 as he publicized a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality headed by Richard Grenell, then the U.S. Ambassador to Germany and the highest-profile openly gay person in the administration. (Grenell now serves as envoy for special missions.) 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump posted on social media. Times have changed where Trump is concerned This time, there is no celebrating. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump named himself chairman of after firing members of the board of trustees, canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Trump, who indicated when he took up the position that he would be dictating programming, had specifically said he would end events featuring performers in drag. The exterior lights that once lit the venue on the Potomac River in the colors of the rainbow were quickly replaced with red, white and blue. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. Inside the White House, there's little second-guessing about the president's stances. Trump aides have pointed to their decision to seize on culture wars surrounding transgender rights during the 2024 campaign as key to their win. They poured money into ads aimed at young men — especially young Hispanic men — attacking Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for supporting 'taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners,' including one spot aired during football games. 'Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,' the narrator said. Jennings flatly rejected assertions that the administration hasn't been discriminatory. 'Are you kidding me? You're throwing trans people out of the military. That's example No. 1.' He points to the cancellation of scientific grants and funding for HIV/AIDS organizations, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'petty and mean' order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which commemorates the gay rights activist and Navy veteran. Jennings also said it doesn't help that Trump has appointed openly gay men like Grenell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to high-profile positions: 'I would call it window dressing.' Less tolerance for the issues as time passes Craig Konnoth, a University of Virginia professor of civil rights, compared the U.S.' trajectory to that of Russia, which has seen a crackdown on gay and lesbian rights after a long stretch of more progressive policies. In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlawed LGBTQ+ activism. Williams said Trump has made the Republican Party more accepting of gay people. First lady Melania Trump, he noted, has hosted fundraisers for his organization. 'On the whole, we think he's the best president ever for our community. He's managed to support us in ways that we have never been supported by any administration,' Williams said. 'We are vastly accepted within our party now.' Trump's approach to LGBTQ+ rights comes amid a broader shift among Republicans, who have grown less tolerant in recent years. While overall support for same-sex marriage has been stable, according to Gallup, the percentage of Republicans who think marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized as valid with the same rights as traditional marriage dropped to 41% this year. That's the lowest point since 2016, a year after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, and a substantial decline from a high of 55% in 2021. There's been a similar drop in the share of Republicans who say that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, which has dropped from 56% in 2022 to 38% this year. Democrats, meanwhile, continue to overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage and say that same-sex relations are morally acceptable. An AP-NORC poll from May also found that Trump's approach to handling transgender issues has been a point of relative strength for the president. About half (52%) of U.S. adults said they approve of how he's handling transgender issues — a figure higher than his overall job approval (41%). Douglas Page, who studies politics and gender at Gettysburg College, said that 'trans rights are less popular than gay rights, with a minority of Republicans in favor of trans rights. This provides incentives for Republicans to speak to the conservative side of that issue.' 'Gay people are less controversial to Republicans compared to trans people,' he said in an email, 'so gay appointees like Secretary Bessent probably won't ruffle many feathers.' ___ Colvin reported from New York. Linley Sanders and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Musk-Trump, from fast friends to breaking up: A timeline
President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's alliance formed with swift and intense speed less than a year ago. It devolved just as quickly this week. Their relationship abruptly imploded in a matter of days, as a simmering feud boiled over and spilled out in public between the world's richest man and the world's most powerful leader. Just last week, Trump presented a ceremonial key to Musk at the White House. But on Thursday, the two were trading personal insults and threatening to hurt each other's business and political prospects. Here's a look at the relationship's history, from the friendship phase to the nasty breakup. Up until last year, Musk had largely stayed out of the political spotlight. And there were times when he seemed skeptical of Trump. In a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he got involved as 'little as possible' but thought Trump getting the 2016 presidential nomination 'wouldn't be good.' Musk, like many Silicon Valley leaders at the time, took issue with some of Trump's policies, but his criticism was less public. Trump did not hold back in his criticism of Musk in 2022, calling the tech billionaire a 'bulls‑‑‑ artist' for supporting the former president's opponents in 2016 and 2020. Musk had flirted with Trump during the presidential race, but he went full MAGA after the attempt on Trump's life at a rally in Butler, Pa. Musk's politics had gradually shifted to the right for years during the former Biden administration, which notably snubbed Tesla during the 2021 electric vehicle summit. The tech mogul took issue with the Biden White House over its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and its handling of immigration and the southern shift in politics culminated with his endorsement of Trump in July last year after Trump survived the assassination attempt in Butler and was formally nominated by the GOP the following week. Once in the Trump fold, Musk quickly brought the Silicon Valley 'move fast and break things' approach to the campaign trail. As the 2024 election inched closer, Musk and Trump's alliance was deepening. Musk increased his rally appearances with Trump, while ramping up his political discourse on his social media platform X. Musk used his online platform as a vehicle to attack former Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic leaders and prop up Trump's presidential bid. Musk, whose net worth is north of $385 billion, said in March last year that he would not donate to either Biden or Trump during the 2024 presidential election. But months later, the billionaire entrepreneur became the biggest donor in the 2024 White House race, spending more than $290 million to propel Trump back to the Oval Office and boost Republicans in congressional races, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. The majority of Musk's contributions went to America PAC, a super PAC that backed Trump's presidential bid. The outside group, which was filed with the FEC in May last year, spent money on direct mail, digital advertising, canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts. He also contributed to other outside groups during the election, including the RBG PAC, which worked on moderating Trump's stance on abortion. By election night, it became clear Musk was moving closer to Trump's inner circle. He joined the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as they awaited election results and even joined the Trump family for a picture with his son 'Little X.' Shortly after winning the 2024 presidential election, Trump selected Musk and ex-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory board focused on reducing the size of the federal government, slashing spending and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Ramaswamy departed DOGE in January and is now running to become Ohio's next governor. Musk, who served as an adviser to the cost-cutting board, initially set the goal for DOGE to slash $2 trillion from the federal government. Later, the goal post was lowered to $1 trillion. The latest estimate claimed that DOGE saved $180 billion. At this point, the Trump and Musk relationship appeared strong, even though some were already wondering how long it would last and when the two would have a serious falling out. Musk found himself at the center of a debate last December among Trump backers and MAGA-allied conservatives over the H-1B visa, a temporary, nonimmigrant work permit. Musk fiercely defended the H-1B process, arguing that the program allows U.S. companies to hire talented employees when corporations cannot find an ample number of workers within the U.S. The tech billionaire locked horns over the issue with far-right activist and ardent Trump supporter Laura Loomer and Trump's ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon, making a rival of Bannon in the process. Bannon and Loomer argued that the program takes away job opportunities from Americans. Trump eventually weighed in, siding with Musk and Ramaswamy in the heated debate. The move signaled how much Trump valued Musk's insight. 'I've always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them,' Trump said in an interview with the New York Post in late December. Bannon, however, continued to take public shots at Musk over the next several months. Musk seemed as close as ever to the president as Trump launched his second term and DOGE's cost-cutting initiatives hit numerous federal agencies. The lightning speed of DOGE's infiltration underscored Musk's sudden power over the federal government as an unelected special government employee. The DOGE cuts stirred chaos and confusion in Washington and led to layoffs of federal employees and spending cuts across agencies. While the official tally is unknown, a New York Times analysis estimated that there have been more than 58,000 job cuts and another 76,000 federal workers have taken buyouts as of May 12. Several of DOGE's actions, including the team's access to sensitive data, have been challenged in court while protests unfolded across the country. Musk's tightness with Trump was on public view when he sat in on his first Cabinet meeting in February. While Musk's role as DOGE chief was not a confirmed Cabinet position, the tech billionaire made a statement by participating in multiple White House Cabinet meetings during his tenure. By March, reports circulated that Trump's Cabinet members were increasingly taking issue with Musk's apparent authority through his DOGE leadership. Up until this point, Trump was publicly supportive of Musk's work and shied away from commenting on the reported conflicts. In one meeting, Trump asked if anyone was 'unhappy with Elon' and suggested he would throw them out, signaling a level of loyalty to his adviser. But during a March Cabinet meeting, Trump showed early signs of shifting his tone on Musk's power. The president told his Cabinet secretaries that they lead on staffing choices and that DOGE cuts should be made with a 'scalpel' not a 'hatchet.' 'As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go. We say the 'scalpel' rather than the 'hatchet,' Trump wrote in March on Truth Social. This marked a shift from where Musk stood in February, when his power seemed above other Cabinet members. Behind the scenes, Musk reportedly ruffled the feathers of a host of Cabinet members as his DOGE workers dug into various government agencies. Musk clashed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an early March Cabinet huddle, slamming the nation's top diplomat for not terminating much of the State Department workforce and saying that he was only 'good on TV' but not much else, according to The New York Times. Rubio fired back, saying that Musk was not telling the truth. Trump eventually stepped in to defend Rubio and commended the former senator for his work. During the same meeting, Musk butted heads with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over the condition of the gear the Federal Aviation Administration uses to track aircraft and what must be done to make it better. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was on Musk's side during the exchange. Duffy said to Musk that DOGE staffers tried to fire air traffic controllers, a claim the tech mogul said was not true. Duffy, the former House GOP lawmaker, also criticized Musk for claiming that airport control tower staff were brought on through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The heated exchange ended with, again, Trump stepping in and telling Duffy that he needs to hire 'geniuses' from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be air traffic controllers. Publicly, Duffy praised DOGE's work and the administration's decision to slash the federal workforce, saying the Transportation Department would work 'closely' with Musk and the advisory board to 'revolutionize the way government is run.' The public meetings remained largely cordial, despite reported tensions. All the while, Trump urged Musk on. Musk waded into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race earlier this year, fueling speculation of his continued involvement in campaigns. He backed Brad Schimel in the race over liberal candidate Susan Crawford, spending millions through the America PAC and traveling to Wisconsin, where he handed out $1 million in checks to voters who penned a petition against 'activist judges.' Democrats used Musk's involvement as part of their messaging in the last few days of the hotly contested election. Crawford prevailed in the match-up in early April. In May, Musk said he would pull back his spending in elections, although he left the door open for future expenditures. Musk, who was deemed a special government employee by the White House, told investors in April he planned to reduce his time spent on DOGE once his status expired, though it was not clear what that would look like. His comments were welcomed by Tesla investors amid concerns the leader was not giving enough attention to his tech ventures as a result of his work in Washington. The move did not appear to be a result of any conflict with the president, who previously said he expected Musk to eventually return to running his businesses. Musk and Trump confirmed in late May the tech billionaire would be stepping down from DOGE on May 31, the day his special government employee status ended. The two held a press conference celebrating his time in the White House, during which the administration said Musk would remain a 'friend and an adviser' after leaving DOGE. Musk, standing with his arms crossed next to Trump, who was seated at the Resolute Desk, and sporting a black DOGE cap, showed up with a black eye on right side of his face. When asked what caused it, Musk said it resulted from his young son punching him while the two were 'horsing around.' 'I was just horsing around with little X and I said, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face.' And he did. Turns out even a 5-year-old punching you in the face actually is —,' Musk told reporters. Trump gifted Musk a gold key to the White House for his 'incredible service,' and the tech mogul maintained it was 'not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning.' While Musk appeared somewhat subdued, the two seemed to be on good terms, and Musk reiterated he would remain an adviser to Trump. The tone from the Oval Office did not last long. Just days later, Musk launched a public push against Trump's tax and spending bill as the Senate prepared to take it up after it passed the House last month. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' Musk posted on June 3. The legislation, officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and boosts funding for border and defense priorities, while cutting spending on programs such as food assistance and Medicaid. A day later, Musk called on lawmakers to kill the legislation and urged constituents to call their congressional offices to oppose the bill. The White House, at the time, brushed off Musk's bashing of the bill, stating the criticism 'doesn't change the president's opinion.' Up until Thursday morning, tensions seemed limited to their disagreement over the bill rather than their friendship. Tensions rapidly boiled after Trump told reporters he was 'very surprised and very disappointed' in Musk. The comment set off an hours-long back-and-forth between the two. Musk took credit for Trump's electoral victory last November, while the president argued Musk was upset about the legislation's repeal of the electric vehicle tax credit and that he was aware of the legislation from the beginning. Musk rejected this. Musk later alleged Trump is included in the Jeffrey Epstein files, and he backed calls for the president to be impeached and succeeded by Vice President Vance. Musk also floated the idea of forming a third party. Trump fired back, threatening to eliminate the federal contracts Musk's businesses have and suggested that the tech billionaire's disenchantment should have come sooner. At one point, he called Musk 'crazy,' claiming the tech billionaire was 'wearing thin.' 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given,' Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social. Musk also said he would decommission SpaceX's Dragon, the spacecraft used to shuttle astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. Hours later, he appeared to backpedal when engaging with a user on X. Less than a day since the blowout began, Musk signaled that he is open to brokering peace with Trump. Amid the haymakers the two were exchanging on Thursday, allies of both men offered to be peacemakers. 'I support @realDonaldTrump and @elonmusk and they should make peace for the benefit of our great country. We are much stronger together than apart,' Bill Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square, said Thursday on X. In response, Musk wrote, 'You're not wrong.' By Friday morning, The White House looked to turn the page on the feud and shut down talk of a potential call for the two men to reconcile. 'No. I won't be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well,' Trump told CNN in an interview. While the two may need time for the dust to settle, the door for makeup may not be entirely closed. Trump frequently clashes with advisers or allies, but some cases have resulted in a reconciliation. The president, for example, sparred memorably in the 2016 election with Rubio, who is now a key figure in Trump's second term. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
