The arrest of 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva by immigration agents in Massachusetts has ignited significant protests after he was detained while en route to a volleyball practice. Although Gomes holds a lapsed student visa and plans to seek asylum, ICE officials justified the arrest, stating he was illegally present in the country, despite not being the target. The incident has led to public outrage, with Massachusetts's governor expressing her disapproval, and a federal judge intervening to temporarily halt any transfer of Gomes.
Gomes was arrested Saturday in Milford, Massachusetts, where he lives. Ice's acting director Todd Lyons acknowledged Gomes was not the target of the immigration investigation.
Lyons stated, 'When authorities encounter someone in the country illegally, we will take action on that. We're doing the job that Ice should have been doing all along.'
Governor Maura Healey expressed her outrage, stating she was 'disturbed and outraged by Gomes's arrest,' reflecting widespread community support for the detained student.
A federal judge issued an emergency order preventing authorities from transferring Gomes out of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours following his lawsuit.
Collection
[
|
...
]