Milford HS student detained not target of ICE operation, classmates walkout to show support

Federal leaders stated Monday that Milford teen Marcelo Gomes-DaSilva was not the target of the federal immigration enforcement operation that resulted in his arrest Agents disclosed they were looking for the -year-old s father Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira when they detained him Saturday ICE administrators say Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira is in the country illegally and they say local functionaries notified ICE that he has a habit of reckless driving at more than miles per hour through residential neighborhoods Officers identified the target s van and initiated a wagon stop with the intention of apprehending Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira an ICE spokesperson commented Upon conducting the bus stop officers arrested Marcelo Gomes-DaSilva an illegally present -year-old Brazilian alien and the son of the intended target Gomes-DaSilva was ascertained to be in the United States illegally and subject to removal proceedings so officers made the arrest Acting ICE director Todd Lyons says that Marcelo is the kind of collateral arrest agents will make when looking for dangerous criminal illegal aliens Like any local law enforcement officer if you encounter someone that has a warrant or like I announced is here illegally we will take action on that We re doing the job that ICE should have been doing all along and we enforce all immigration laws revealed Lyons Gomes-DaSilva is at this moment being held in ICE custody in Burlington A judge has ordered Gomes can not be removed from the state for at least hours In court paperwork Marcelo s lawyer says he came to the U S from Brazil on a pupil visa in His lawyer also says that visa status has lapsed but argues he is eligible for asylum and intends to apply His lawyer also says leadership could have summoned the teen to court and not throw him in jail I don t understand why they decided to just take this kid off the street while he was on his way to his volleyball practice I mean he s not a threat He s not a danger to the population and he s not a flight menace announced Marcelo Gomes-DaSilva s lawyer Miriam Conrad Countless have spoken out in aid of Gomes including Governor Maura Healey I m disturbed and outraged by reports that a Milford High School participant was arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice the previous 24 hours Healey declared in a message Sunday Yet again local officers and law enforcement have been left in the dark with no heads up and no answers to their questions I m demanding that ICE provide immediate information about why he was arrested where he is and how his due process is being protected Milford High School students walked out of class Monday afternoon in assistance of Gomes-DaSilva Because of Marcello and how he acted towards people is why so multiple people came out here the present day reported Gomes-DaSilva s girlfriend Julianys Rentas Figueroa To help encouragement Marcello We all love him more than words can describe commented Gomes-DaSilva s volleyball teammate Colin Greco He s an amazing person he s the light of the squad