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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Vigil held in Chelsea in honor of high school student and recent grad detained by immigration agents
Immigration agents stopped De La Cruz, 20, as he was leaving his house on Wednesday, his parents said. De La Cruz, who graduated Chelsea High School just days before, was just a few doors away from his house when he was stopped. The next day, 19-year-old high school student Belizario Benito Vasquez went to Burlington for a meeting he thought was a normal part of his ongoing asylum application process. Instead, he was detained and transferred to a holding facility in Plymouth. Neither of the two young men had any criminal record, family members said Saturday. Advertisement On Saturday evening, demonstrators held devotional candles and signs reading 'Keep Families Together' and 'Chelsea is My Home.' The crowd of more than 100 stood among several American flags, as well as a pair of red-white-and-blue bouquets still up from Memorial Day weekend. De La Cruz's father, Giovanni De La Cruz, addressed the crowd in Spanish, wearing a white T-shirt with his son's graduation photo printed on the front. 'I don't wish this moment on anyone,' he said, his voice breaking. 'I haven't been able to sleep, thinking of what's happening to my son.' Marta Vasquez, Benito Vasquez's mother, said she fled Guatemala with her two sons due to an abusive family situation, as well as threats from local gangs. She said she hadn't been able to eat or sleep since she last saw her son, now in detention. Advertisement 'As a mother, when your children are torn from you, you're left with your heart shattered,' she said in Spanish, fighting back tears. 'You don't know if your children are doing okay in there, if they've eaten, if they can sleep.' Marta Vasquez said she'd spoken to her son on Friday. She described him as a studious learner of English, who was adamant about not dropping out of school and continuing to study — something he didn't have the chance to do in Guatemala. 'I have to be strong to hear his voice,' she said. 'He tells me, 'Mom, I need you to be strong,' and I tell him, 'Son, I'm here for you.' ... The only thing I can do for my son is give him strength. But a mother's heart hurts deeply.' Mayra Balderas, a 'If we don't bring our voices, these things are going to happen again,' she said. 'It's going to keep happening, and it's going to keep happening. So the more people that know what's going on and what it is they're doing ... we can fight this battle.' Geovani De La Cruz's high school diploma and cap-and-gown were displayed at a vigil held in his honor outside Chelsea City Hall on Saturday. De La Cruz was detained by immigration agents on Wednesday, days after graduating from Chelsea High School. Camilo Fonseca Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Totally overboard': Chelsea High graduate detained by ICE days after receiving diploma
A Chelsea family is searching for answers after they say a high school graduate was detained by ICE days after receiving his diploma. 20-year-old Geovani De La Cruz Catalan graduated from Chelsea High School last Saturday. His stepmother, school committee member Mayra Balderas, handed him his diploma on that momentous occasion. Their joy turned to despair on Wednesday after De La Cruz stopped by the family's home on Addison Street to pick up some tools for a job. Cell phone video shows ICE agents taking De La Cruz into custody five doors down. 'They didn't say, we have a warrant, we're looking for you, nothing. He showed his license, and they just took him,' said Balderas. Balderas said her stepson does not have a criminal record and aspires to become an electrician. His future in the U.S. is now uncertain with an immigration hearing scheduled on June 23rd. 'He doesn't want to be deported. He's very sad. He's like I didn't do nothing. Why did they do this to me?,' said Balderas. De La Cruz's family told Boston 25 News he came to the United States from Guatemala undocumented in 2022 at 17 years old. They believe he overcame the odds by graduating high school three years later. 'I feel weak. I can't sleep,' said Father Giovanni De La Cruz. 'For what reason did they arrest my son?' The Chelsea High graduate has called his family multiple times to let them know he's okay but is worried about the coming days and weeks. He's already been transferred from a detention facility in Burlington to Plymouth, and family members fear he could soon be transferred out of state. 'The whole thing is ridiculous, and it's totally overboard,' said neighbor Angie Carro. 'I have a lot to say about Trump and what he's doing. He's got the power, but he's doing the wrong thing.' Boston 25 News reached out to ICE for more information. A comment has yet to be issued on this case. A vigil is scheduled to happen at Chelsea City Hall on Saturday at 5 p.m. to show support for families affected by ICE detentions. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
