Samarone Alves Ferreira-De Souza, a father living in Worcester, Massachusetts, was deported to his native Brazil. His alleged offense: honking at an unmarked vehicle driven by an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to an investigation by MassLive and reported by The Lawyer Herald.
What started as a minor traffic incident led to his arrest, an expedited deportation, and the temporary separation of his partner’s family.
Ferreira-De Souza, the father of a four-month-old infant, was apprehended by ICE agents on May 7 while on his way to work. According to his attorney, the arrest followed a brief road encounter with plainclothes immigration officers. The situation escalated unexpectedly, also leading to the arrest of several members of his partner’s family and raising serious concerns about ICE’s respect for due process.
Shortly after his arrest, Ferreira-De Souza was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. After refusing to sign his deportation order, ICE allegedly signed it on his behalf without his consent, his attorney said. He was deported to Fortaleza, Brazil, on May 25 without access to legal representation in the final days of his detention, The Lawyer Herald reported.
His partner, Augusta Clara Moura, is planning to join him in Brazil with their baby on June 6, according to MassLive. Her mother remains in ICE custody, and her younger siblings have been placed in the care of social services.
ICE has not yet issued an official comment regarding this deportation or the allegations of procedural violations. Ferreira-De Souza’s attorney described the case as part of a “repeated pattern of rights violations” by the federal agency.
Although Ferreira-De Souza chose not to contest his deportation, citing exhaustion with the process, the incident has reignited the debate over ICE’s practices, particularly in so-called “sanctuary” states like Massachusetts. Immigrant rights advocates are calling for increased transparency and oversight.
Operation Patriot: 1,500 Arrests in Massachusetts in May
Nearly 1,500 people were arrested across Massachusetts during an immigration crackdown called “Operation Patriot,” ICE Boston Field Office Director Patricia Hyde announced at a press conference held at the federal courthouse in Boston.
According to Hyde, all individuals arrested were in the U.S. without legal status. Among them, 790 had what ICE described as “significant criminality” either in the United States or in their countries of origin. “All made the mistake of attempting to subvert justice by hiding out in Massachusetts,” she said.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons stated that arrests took place in cities including Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Lawrence, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. He cited cases involving drug trafficking, sex offenses, child abuse, and even murder charges.
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley emphasized that her office is focused on individuals in the country illegally who pose a threat to public safety. “These individuals didn’t just cross a border, they crossed a line and jeopardize the safety of Massachusetts communities,” she said.
ICE reported that 277 of those arrested had already received removal orders. For privacy reasons, the agency did not release names but presented a poster showing photos of several individuals taken into custody.
When asked about the lack of collaboration with local law enforcement, Hyde stated: “While we covet a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship with our state and local partners, we will work around them when it becomes necessary to ensure the safety and security of Massachusetts.”
One case that drew particular public attention was the arrest of Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, an 18-year-old high school student who was detained on his way to volleyball practice. ICE confirmed he was not the intended target but was driving his father’s vehicle, who is wanted by authorities.
“He was not our target,” Patricia Hyde acknowledged. “But as we’ve repeatedly said, sanctuary policies force us into communities. And when we encounter other individuals here unlawfully, we arrest them.”
Responding to a question about why the teenager was detained if he posed no threat, Todd Lyons said: “I didn’t say he was dangerous. I said he is in this country illegally. And we’re not going to walk away from anybody.”
Lyons added that Gomes Da Silva will have access to due process. “ICE doesn’t just scoop people off the street and remove them. Everyone gets due process. He’ll appear before an immigration judge and have the opportunity to post bond.”
The mass arrests have raised alarm among community leaders and elected officials. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley described the operation as a “systematic, coordinated effort to destabilize communities,” saying, “This has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with power, control, and intimidation.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared ICE agents to “secret police,” while Representative Seth Moulton likened the agency’s tactics to those of the Gestapo, following the arrest of a Tufts University student by plainclothes officers.
Addressing concerns about agents wearing masks during arrests, Lyons explained that it is a safety precaution. “People are out there taking photos and posting them online with death threats to their families and themselves. I’m sorry if people are offended by people wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers go out and put their lives on the line,” he concluded.
