Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira, was the agents’ intended target, but they took Marcelo instead when they found he was in the U.S. without legal status.
An 18-year-old high school junior from Milford, Massachusetts, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 31, 2025, while driving to volleyball practice.
ICE agents were actually looking for his father, Joao, when they stopped Marcelo, who was driving his father’s car.
They claimed Joao was a target because local authorities reported he was driving recklessly, though court records show only a minor traffic case from 2023 that was dismissed with a $100 fine.
When agents realized Marcelo was in the car instead of his father, they detained him because his student visa had expired, calling it a “collateral arrest.”
Marcelo is now being held in a detention center in Burlington, Massachusetts, and may be moved to another facility.
His parents are heartbroken, with Joao saying Marcelo is “like a boy” who doesn’t understand why he’s detained.
Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s Parents, Joao And Daiane, Came To The U.S. Seeking A Better Life!
Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira and Daiane Pereira are originally from Brazil. They moved to the United States years ago with their son Marcelo, who was about five or six at the time, seeking a better life.
They entered the country legally on a visa, which later expired. The family has since built a life in Milford, where Marcelo attends high school, plays volleyball, and is active in his church and school band.
Joao and Daiane also have two younger children, ages 7 and 9, who are U.S. citizens.
The family is described as hardworking and deeply connected to their community, with Marcelo’s friends and neighbors calling them kind and involved.
The incident has left João Paulo Gomes-Pereira, Daiane Pereira, and their two younger children in a state of fear and uncertainty.
João, Marcelo’s father, has spoken about the family’s shock and sadness over Marcelo’s detention. In an interview with Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, he said in Portuguese:
We’re doing really badly. We are very upset because we did not know that this could happen to us.
Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira
He explained that they came to the U.S. legally and didn’t expect to face deportation, as they had never heard of people with visas being sent back to their home countries.
Since Marcelo’s arrest, Joao and Daiane are living in fear inside their Milford home.
Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s Parents Are Devastated And Living In A State Of Fear!
According to Coleen Greco, a family friend and spokesperson, they are “frozen in time” and too scared to leave the house.
They worry that ICE agents, who are still looking for Joao, might detain them if they step outside. This fear has stopped them from going to work, and their younger children, who are in elementary school, are not attending classes.
Greco described the family’s situation as “devastation,” with their lives on hold as they wait for news about Marcelo.
ICE has said Joao is still a target, and agents have been seen driving around the family’s neighborhood, according to neighbors’ security camera footage.
This has made the family feel unsafe, with Joao and Daiane worried about their own safety and that of their younger children.
Greco also mentioned an incident where a man with legal status was approached by ICE at a local club, adding to the family’s concerns about being targeted.
Meanwhile, the Milford community has rallied around the family. Students at Milford High School held a walkout on June 2, 2025, wearing “Free Marcelo” shirts, and the volleyball team dedicated a playoff game to him.
A fundraiser has raised nearly $40,000 to help with legal costs.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Senator Ed Markey have called for Marcelo’s release, criticizing ICE’s actions as cruel.
Marcelo’s lawyers, Robin Nice and Miriam Conrad, are fighting for him, with a court hearing set for June 5, 2025, to request his release on bond.
