‘His dad knows he’s the target of it’: Milford teen being held by ICE after weekend arrest

MILFORD, Mass. — The Milford teen detained by ICE is currently at a holding facility in Burlington.

ICE officials revealed that he was not the intended target, but because he was here illegally, he was arrested anyway.

A federal judge ruled Marcelo Gomes can’t be moved out of state unless 48 hours is given notice first. But he wasn’t the one federal officials were looking for, it was his father.

During a news conference, federal officials said Marcelo’s father, Gomes Pereira, was spotted by local authorities speeding more than 100 miles an hour through residential areas. Marcelo happened to be driving his father’s car Saturday morning on his way to volleyball practice with teammates when he was pulled over.

“He’s 18 years old, he’s unlawfully in this country,” said Patricia Hyde, the Field Director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. “And unfortunately, we had to go to Milford to look for someone else, and came across him, and he was arrested. That’s where that stands.”

The ‘collateral arrest’—where agents arrest immigrants in the country illegally, even though they are not the intended target was banned by the Biden administration but reinstated under President Trump.

“He was driving that vehicle, but like any local law enforcement officer, if you encounter someone who has a warrant or like I said, is here illegally, we will take action on that,” said Todd Lyons, Acting ICE Director. “His dad hasn’t turned himself in yet, and his dad knows he’s the target of it...So.”

Meanwhile, at Milford High School yesterday, students staged a walkout in support of Marcelo. They say he is a great student and teammate, played drums in the school band, and never got into any trouble.

“He told me he was in a room with like only men,” said Julianys Rentas Figueroa, Marcelo’s girlfriend. ”He told me that he just seemed very nervous. I think he is really worried about his family.”

The judge gave the government 14 days to respond to Marcelo Gomes’s petition to be released. It appears federal officials are still searching for his father.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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