13-year-old boy arrested by ICE in Massachusetts
A 13-year-old boy was detained by ICE in Everett and transferred to Virginia, sparking criticism and legal action.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Everett, Massachusetts, recently detained a 13-year-old Brazilian boy following an alleged interaction with local police. He was then transferred more than 500 miles north to a juvenile center in Winchester, Virginia. The arrest has sparked widespread concern among human rights advocates, immigration attorneys, and the local community.
Summary of the facts
The arrest occurred after an intervention by the Everett police; after his capture, ICE took him to the city's police department.
ICE called Josiele Berto, the boy's mother, to pick him up. After about an hour and a half, she received another call informing her that her son was on his way to a juvenile detention center in Virginia.
The minor spent a night at the ICE facility in Burlington, Massachusetts, before being transferred Friday morning to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Virginia — more than 500 miles (almost 805 km) away.
According to his mother, the boy slept on concrete with only a sheet of aluminum as a blanket at the detention center, had little food, and even had a sore foot, having recently suffered a fracture while riding a bicycle.
The family has a pending asylum case and the boy is legally authorized to work, according to information provided by his attorney, Andrew Lattarulo.
Federal Judge Richard G. Stearns has ordered the government to justify the arrest by October 14 or grant the juvenile a bond hearing by October 17.
In his ruling, Judge Stearns noted that the boy was detained for “being in the company of unrelated adult detainees,” underscoring the unusual and controversial nature of the arrest for someone so young.
Community outraged by the arrest of a minor
The case has sparked outrage in the Everett community and surrounding areas, among immigrant rights advocates and civil society organizations, who consider the treatment of the minor inhumane and inappropriate given his age.
Immigration attorneys have questioned ICE's procedures, especially the rapid interstate transfer (from Massachusetts to Virginia), which complicates legal representation for the minor and monitoring the case.
Some critics have pointed out that recent immigration operations in Massachusetts—part of initiatives like “Operation Patriot 2.0”—have increased arrests even of minors, raising concerns about aggressive deportation and immigration enforcement policies.
ICE authorities and local police have not yet issued any compelling public responses regarding the specific details of the case (e.g., what triggered the police intervention, ICE's role at the time, etc.).
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