Just released after six days in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, 18-year-old high school student Marcelo Gomes Da Silva spoke out to condemn the “humiliating” conditions he endured during his detention.
“I don’t want to cry — but I want to say that this place is not good,” he declared immediately to a group of journalists, still wearing a brown t-shirt, a “Free Marcelo” sticker, and Crocs. He had just been released from the federal detention center in Burlington, Massachusetts, as reported by WGBH.
The Milford High School student, who has lived in the United States since age 5, was arrested without warning on May 31 while heading to volleyball practice. “I was in shock. I didn’t understand what was happening,” he recounted. “He asked me: ‘Do you know why you’re being arrested?’ I answered: ‘No, I don’t know.’ He told me: ‘Because you’re illegal, you’re an immigrant,'” Marcelo explained, according to a WGBH article.
Marcelo claims he received no valid reason for his arrest. An agent reportedly explained they were actually looking for his father. Yet, he, a student with no criminal record, ended up in a cell.
An ICE agent, whom he describes as kind, apparently informed him that his visa had expired. “Ma’am, I was seven years old,” he reportedly responded, emphasizing that he arrived in the United States in 2013 and the visa expired in 2015.
During his detention, he remained at the Burlington facility, contrary to initial reports from ICE about his transfer. He served as an interpreter for other detainees who weren’t fluent in English. “They would come to me with their papers asking, ‘Can you translate this for me? I don’t want to sign something and get deported,'” reported Marcelo, who described extremely unpleasant detention conditions. He recounted nights spent sleeping on concrete floors and shared toilets in a large room with dozens of men. “It’s humiliating — I was just ashamed for everyone,” he told reporters.
Immigration Judge Jenny Beverly ordered his release on bail Thursday, June 5, setting the amount at $2,000. His attorney, Robin Nice, welcomed the decision but maintained that Marcelo should never have been arrested. “We’re delighted he’s free. The judge set one of the lowest possible bail amounts, which is appropriate in this case. But we have a long road ahead,” she told GBH News.
Two Congressional Representatives, Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton, met him upon his release. Moulton denounced a “lawless” administration under President Trump: “We support border security and law enforcement. But putting 18-year-old students in prison isn’t law and order.” Auchincloss added: “This is not what justice looks like.”
The movement for his release was massive. Over 120 people, including many high school students, gathered outside the Chelmsford courthouse that morning. His volleyball teammates wore t-shirts with his number, 10, hand-drawn on them. “He’s an amazing kid who deserves all our support,” stated Giovanni Guilarducci, one of his friends.
Julianys Rentas, his girlfriend, also condemned the arrest: “This was an injustice. He’s not a criminal. It’s not right that he was targeted.”
According to internal security services, his father, João Paulo Gomes-Pereira, was the actual target of the agents due to minor driving infractions. However, these issues had been legally resolved: a $100 fine was paid, and there were no pending criminal cases. “I love my son. We need Marcelo at home. We love America,” the father expressed in a heartfelt video, according to WBGH.
When questioned about this, Marcelo staunchly defended his father: “If you speak ill of my father, you speak ill of me, because he’s the one who raised me.” Emotionally, he added: “My father called me every night with my brother and sister. He kept crying. Why? There’s no reason for any of this.”
Marcelo’s legal future remains uncertain, with the next hearing not expected for three months. Meanwhile, he plans to reunite with his family and assist others who have endured similar experiences in the ICE detention center. “First, I want to tell my story. But my father always taught me to think of others. I also want to help the men I was locked up with,” he concluded.
