Local News
Rep. Seth Moulton, who invited the teen to the Capitol, said his story “captures what’s broken in our immigration system.”
Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a Milford teen who was detained by federal agents last year, has been invited to attend this year’s State of the Union in Washington, D.C. as a guest.
Rep. Seth Moulton announced via a statement Thursday that Gomes would accompany him to the U.S. Capitol to see President Trump’s address Feb. 24. Trump is expected to address his administration’s increased immigration enforcement action and mass deportation agenda during his speech.
“As an immigrant, being invited to the State of the Union is deeply meaningful,” Gomes said in the statement. “I’m proud to represent the strength, faith, and hard work of my community. Thank you to Seth for this invite.”
Gomes was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in May 2025 while on his way to volleyball practice. An ICE spokesperson later said the agency was targeting his father, Joao Paulo Gomes-Pereira.
The Milford High School student is originally from Brazil and entered the United States with a student visa when he was 7 years old. His visa later expired without his knowledge.
Gomes, who was driving his father’s car at the time of his arrest, does not have a criminal record but was detained in what ICE agents called a “collateral arrest.” Moulton said in Thursday’s statement that his story “captures what’s broken in our immigration system right now.”
After being held for six days in a Burlington ICE facility, Gomes was released on $2,000 bond. When speaking with members of the media, he described “humiliating” conditions in the detention center.
Robin Nice, Gomes’ lawyer, told reporters that he was confined to a room with dozens of other men and no windows. He was given no bed to sleep in, no time outside, no permission to shower, and he was only able to brush his teeth twice.
Gomes’ arrest prompted a massive outpouring of support from his community. Fellow students walked out of class, and hundreds gathered at Milford Town Hall to protest his detention.
Moulton, who was present when Gomes spoke to the media following his release, said that young immigrants like him are emblematic of the nation’s future and that their voices must be heard.
“He is exactly the kind of young person America should be investing in, not locking up,” Moulton said in the statement. “If we want to call ourselves a nation of opportunity, we should start by uplifting young people like Marcelo.”
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