Milford Protests in Toga Against ICE Arrest of Student
ICE detains student in Milford; community protests as authorities demand answers from the federal government.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne in Unsplash
The Milford, MA, community gathered this Sunday, June 1, to protest the arrest of a high school student by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE agents detained Marcelo Gomes, a junior at Milford High School, on Saturday, May 31, as he was heading to volleyball practice.
Milford community members organized a march against Gomes's arrest, marching down Milford's main street. The day of the protest coincided with the Milford High School graduation ceremony, in which Gomes was scheduled to participate as part of the band.
Several recent Milford High School graduates joined the protest, wearing their graduation gowns while supporting their detained classmate. Marcelo Gomes' girlfriend shared the following message with CBS News:
“Marcelo was a good kid. He was excited about his future and did absolutely nothing wrong. He was innocently going to practice when officers [chased] him.”
The arrest of Gomes
An anonymous student who was accompanying Gomes on his commute to practice describes the arrest that occurred last Saturday. The student, one of three passengers, alleges that three unmarked vehicles, not marked as police cars, signaled Gomes, who was driving his car, to stop.
The officers reportedly questioned the students about their identification and arrested Gomes. The officers did not arrest the anonymous student who provided this description of the arrest despite not having identification because he was a minor.
Gomes' cousin, Ana Julia Araujo, shared that Gomes is currently being held at an ICE facility in Burlington, and that he has been provided with communication with his family.
Milford and Massachusetts reactn
Massachusetts Governor Maura Hailey responded to Gomes' arrest with a press release posted on her social networks:
“I'm demanding immediate answers from ICE regarding the arrest of a Milford High School student yesterday. Where is he and how are his rights being protected?”
The Governor also He highlighted his frustration with the lack of communication between local authorities and the federal government when it comes to ICE operations: “Once again, local authorities and law enforcement have been left in the dark, without warning and without answers to their questions.”
Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino expressed similar frustration in his interview with CBS News: "We want an open dialogue with the federal government about who is being detained and why. We don't want authorities to simply come into town and arrest or detain people just for being here illegally.
This tension between Massachusetts regional authorities and federal ICE agents has generated several conflicts in recent months. Notably, the altercation between police, ICE agents, and citizens in Worcester on May 8 generated criticism about the lack of coordination between departments.
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