18-year-old high school student detained by ICE, district officials say

By Matt Reed, Imani Clement, and Ted Wayman

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    MILFORD, Massachusetts (WCVB) — An 18-year-old Massachusetts high school student was detained by federal immigration agents on Saturday, Milford school officials confirmed.

The Milford High School student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents somewhere off-campus, officials wrote in a statement. They did not immediately confirm the student’s name or where the incident occurred.

However, friends and family confirmed that the student is Marcelo Gomes, who was traveling to volleyball practice Saturday morning when he was detained.

Yago Sampaio says he was in the car with Gomes when agents approached.

“If I were a year older, I would have been in the back of the car with my friend,” Sampaio said.

Gomes’ family says he immigrated to the United States from Brazil at five years old and settled in Milford, where he has lived since.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey responded to the detainment, demanding to know more information about why Gomes was arrested and his location.

“I’m disturbed and outraged by reports that a Milford High School student was arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice yesterday. Yet again, local officials and law enforcement have been left in the dark with no heads up and no answers to their questions,” Healey said in a statement. “I’m demanding that ICE provide immediate information about why he was arrested, where he is and how his due process is being protected. My heart goes out to the Milford community on what was supposed to be a celebratory graduation day. The Trump Administration continues to create fear in our communities, and it’s making us all less safe.”

Milford Schools Superintendent Kevin McIntyre said the district has no role in immigration enforcement operations and that the district supports immigrant families in the same way as all others.

“We have also had a number of parents who have been detained by ICE in recent weeks. We are all distraught by this news,” McIntyre said in a statement. “They are members of the community, students in our classrooms, athletes that compete representing Milford, musicians, artists, friends, and neighbors. We will do everything in our power to support our students and families during these difficult times.”

Gomes’ girlfriend, Julianys Rentas, told WCVB that she could not believe her boyfriend is currently in ICE detention.

“He told me he had chains around his ankles, he had chains around his wrists,” Rentas said. “He’s in a cell with 30 other men. He’s the only 18-year-old there, he’s the youngest there. He is not a criminal. He’s a member of this community and has never done anything wrong.”

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss was present at a rally Sunday afternoon and expressed disbelief at Gomes’ detainment.

“I don’t see how a kid en route to volleyball, who is an honors student, a musician in the high school band, that kid is not a threat to law and order,” Auchincloss said.

“To just separate him from everybody he knows — like his whole life, just because he wasn’t born here — it’s not right,” said Gomes’ cousin Ana Julia Araujo.

Friends like Colin Greco say the community is devastated at Gomes’ detainment.

“When we got the news that he was taken into custody, we were all heartbroken,” Greco said. “People were crying. Other people just didn’t know what to say. No words were exchanged in the locker room. People just parted ways after that.”

Gomes’ volleyball coach, Andrew Mainini, echoed similar sentiments about the high school junior.

“Our athlete, who was detained, may be the friendliest person in the school. Every day, no matter how he felt, he always had a smile on his face,” Mainini said. “He was not only happy himself. He made other people smile.”

After the Milford High School graduation ceremony Sunday morning, graduates marched to a town hall rally along with hundreds of others in protest of Gomes’ detainment.

Family says Gomes was supposed to play in the Milford High School band at the graduation.

“He is like a brother to me, and it’s so disappointing to me that I have to see this happen, for him to get out,” said a classmate of Gomes. “He is a great human being. He never did anything, so I don’t understand why we are going through this, especially on a day we graduated.”

Milford Police Chief Rob Tunsio said his department learned about the arrest from the school district. He said that local officers were not involved but are now looking into the situation.

Gomes’ family said they have not been told where he is being detained.

WCVB reached out to federal agents for more information on Gomes’ detention but has yet to hear back.

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