MILFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A judge blocked the federal government from transferring a Milford teen. Officials had wanted to move him to a facility in Rhode Island.
Marcelo Gomes, 18, was taken into custody over the weekend on his way to volleyball practice. His parents and brothers are begging for his release.
ICE wants to move Gomes to a detention facility in Central Falls, R.I., ahead of his immigration hearing. His lawyers argue he shouldn’t be moved, filing paperwork with the federal judge handling his case in Boston.
Gomes is being held because his student visa of 10 years had lapsed. The Milford teenager has been held since then in the holding room of ICE’s Burlington field office. However, ICE says it isn’t a long-term housing facility.
“The Burlington Field Office-Boston Hold room does not contain many of the facilities needed to house and care for individuals for any extended period of detention and does not contain medical facilities or attorney-client meeting space,” ICE told the judge.
Gomes’ lawyers say the move could complicate or delay his immigration hearing scheduled for Thursday in Chelmsford.
They also argue a move might be bad for Gomes’ health, writing, “Mr. Gomes Da Silva is ill. Rather than providing additional support for a move, however, Mr. Gomes Da Silva’s physical condition suggests that a move at this time would be unwise. The move and the attendant intake process would cause him further discomfort.”
In a newly released video message, Gomes’ family said their home feels empty without him.
“Please bring my son back,” his mother said. “I miss my son inside my home. I miss hugging my son.”
ICE says agents were looking for Gomes’ father, who they say is a 38-year-old undocumented immigrant with a history of reckless driving.
“I love my son. We need Marcelo back home. It’s not a family without him,” his father said in the video.
A family spokesperson says Gomes is struggling in ICE custody.
“Burlington doesn’t have enough beds, so he’s sleeping on the floor. He’s eating crackers,” said Coleen Greco.
On Tuesday, the Milford High School gym buzzed with supporters in “Free Marcelo” t-shirts, as a volleyball game was dedicated to Gomes.
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