Summary:
- Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a Milford High School student, was released from U.S. immigration custody on a $2,000 bond after a week-long detention.
- ICE agents originally sought his father, but detained Marcelo when they discovered he was living in the U.S. without legal status.
- The case has drawn public outcry and renewed attention to immigration enforcement practices involving students.
A Massachusetts high school student who was arrested by immigration agents while on his way to volleyball practice has been released from federal custody following a court hearing on Thursday. Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, was granted bond by an immigration judge in Chelmsford, allowing him to return home to Milford while his case proceeds.
Arrest Sparks Community Outcry
Gomes da Silva was taken into custody on May 31 during a traffic stop in Milford by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were reportedly looking for his father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira.
Though the elder Gomes-Pereira was the target, ICE detained Marcelo after realizing he was living in the U.S. without legal immigration status. Marcelo came to the country from Brazil at age 7 and had entered legally, but his student visa expired several years ago.
According to Gomes, he had no idea the visa had lapsed. “I was seven years old. I don’t know nothing about that stuff,” he told reporters. He was held at an ICE facility in Burlington for six days under what he described as humiliating conditions, including sleeping on a concrete floor with only a thin metallic blanket—part of which he now wears on his wrist as a reminder.
The arrest triggered outrage among students, school staff, and immigration advocates, many of whom attended Thursday’s hearing or gathered outside the courthouse in support.
Judge Grants Release Amid Legal Efforts
At the June 5 hearing, Immigration Judge Jenny Beverly granted Gomes a $2,000 bond, which was quickly paid using donations from the local community. Gomes joined the hearing remotely, while his family stayed home on the advice of his attorney, Robin Nice, who feared they might also be at risk of detention.
“Being there when he gets home is the most important thing,” she said. Nice criticized the arrest, calling it unnecessary and a waste of government resources. “We disrupted a kid’s life. We disrupted a community’s life. These kids should be celebrating graduation and prom,” she added.
Following his release, Gomes’s legal team filed for asylum. He is now expected to pursue a work or student visa while awaiting his next court date, which may be delayed due to a significant backlog in immigration courts.
While ICE did not deem him a public threat, they claimed he was a flight risk. Gomes disagrees, saying, “The people I was with don’t deserve to be there… There are genuine criminals out there people should be paying attention to.”
His story has reignited conversation about immigration enforcement and youth, and for now, Gomes is simply relieved to be home.