Authorities arrested a Massachusetts high school student on his way to volleyball practice during a traffic stop targeting his father, according to officials. Marcelo Gomes, an 18-year-old student at Milford High School, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday. Although he was not the main target of the investigation, federal agents discovered that the teen was also in the U.S. illegally.
Gomes, originally from Brazil, was driving a vehicle registered to his father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira, whom the Department of Homeland Security labeled as an illegal alien and a “known public safety threat” due to his reckless driving habits in residential areas.
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According to ICE Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde, Gomes’ arrest was part of a broader immigration sweep targeting dangerous alien offenders in crime-infested areas of Massachusetts. The arrest of nearly 1,500 individuals in the last 30 days aimed to uphold the nation’s immigration laws and remove individuals with significant criminal records.
The teen’s detention sparked protests and criticism from Governor Maura Healey, who denounced the Trump administration’s immigration policies for instilling fear in local communities.
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Despite the protests and outcry, acting ICE director Todd Lyons defended the legality of Gomes’ arrest, emphasizing that individuals found to be in the country illegally are subject to enforcement action.
State Senator Becca Rausch joined the community in condemning the teen’s arrest, citing concerns over constitutional rights and the administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
