CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The parents of an 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student, detained on his way to volleyball practice, made a heartfelt appeal for his release on Wednesday.
“I love my son. I need Marcelo to come back home. Without him, we’re not a family,” stated Joanne Paulo Gomez Pereira in a video shared by her son’s lawyer. “We cherish America. Please help bring your son back.”
Marcelo Gomez da Silva, who moved to the U.S. from Brazil at the age of seven, was apprehended by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Saturday. Authorities indicated the agents were pursuing a teenager’s father, who owned the car driven by Gomez da Silva and left in a friend’s driveway.
“Similar to local law enforcement, if there’s an outstanding warrant or someone is illegally present, we will take action,” said ICE Director Todd Lyons during a news briefing on Monday.
According to his attorney, Robin Nice, Gomez da Silva initially arrived in the U.S. on a visitor visa and later obtained a student visa that has since expired. She characterized him as an integral part of his community, an active participant in both the Milford High School marching band and his church’s band.
“He has commendable references from his teacher, volleyball coach, pastor, and principal. He has no criminal record. This child had never encountered law enforcement until last Saturday and entered the U.S. lawfully,” she mentioned in an interview Wednesday. “Even if the procedure is deemed proper, there’s no justification for his detention.”
A federal judge reviewed Gomez da Silva’s appeal, placing a hold on the case until June 16 for the government to respond and ordered that he must not leave Massachusetts without prior notice to the court for 48 hours. The government sought to transfer Gomez da Silva to another detention facility in New England on Wednesday, but his legal team opposed it, fearing it would delay the immigration hearing scheduled for Thursday. The judge promptly denied the transfer request.
Currently, he is held in a processing facility that is not equipped for long-term detention, where 40 men share a single room, sleep on a cement floor, and are provided only occasional crackers, according to Nice. Gomez da Silva has communicated feelings of anxiety and is experiencing headaches and vision problems after sustaining a hard blow to the head from a volleyball a week prior to his detention.
“We are genuinely worried about him. We want him to receive medical attention,” Nice expressed. “He is trying to stay strong, but it’s a struggle.”
A U.S. attorney representing the government did not reply to an email requesting comment on Wednesday. Earlier, U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin mentioned that ICE officials were targeting “known public safety threats,” indicating Gomez da Silva’s father has a record of reckless driving exceeding 100 miles per hour in residential areas.
“The ICE officer had no intention of arresting Gomez da Silva, but the arrest occurred because he was found to be illegally in the U.S. and subject to removal proceedings,” she stated in an official release.
The released video features Gomez da Silva’s family, including his younger sibling, in his bedroom. His sister shares how she misses watching movies with him and enjoys the meals he prepares, like “Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets.”
“I miss everything about him,” she remarked.
“When he comes back, I’ll give him a big hug,” said Gomez da Silva’s younger brother. “But, ICE, please bring him back. Please.”
The arrest has incited outrage from Democratic officials, including Governor Maura Healey, who demanded information regarding his whereabouts and whether proper procedures were observed.
“They need to let him go,” Healey stated in a video shared on social media platform X. “Marcelo should be at school, not in a detention center.”
A Milford High student organized a strike on Monday to protest his detention. Other supporters donned white attire and filled the high school’s gymnasium on Tuesday evening. The volleyball team dedicated a match to their missing teammate.
“This is an active, engaged child,” his lawyer commented. “He contributes positively to our society and it’s outrageous that he is being treated this way.”
Source: apnews.com