### Milford High Student Detained by ICE, Sparking Community Outrage

A Milford High School junior heading to volleyball practice was detained by federal immigration officials on Saturday, leading to a significant protest involving hundreds of people. "It was shocking. It's frankly disgusting," stated volleyball coach Andrew Mainini.

The student, identified as 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva from Brazil, was arrested when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents intercepted a car of students. The incident occurred early Saturday morning as the students were en route to practice. Coach Mainini initially assumed the boys had overslept, but soon received a distressing text from one of the athletes, detailing the detention.

Details emerged that around ten masked ICE agents had stopped the vehicle and began questioning the three students, using cell phones to scan their faces. "These are high school students. They're honors and AP level students who actively participate in various school activities," Mainini emphasized.

The Milford community, which is nearly 30 percent foreign-born, showed strong support for Da Silva. During Sunday's high school graduation ceremony, families gathered to celebrate, but shortly afterward, they assembled at Milford Town Hall to protest the detention. Demonstrators, including nearly 200 educators, marched from the high school to the town hall, chanting slogans and holding signs that read "Free Marcelo," "He belongs here," and "Education not deportation."

Da Silva's detention has shaken the student body. According to Mainini, the coaching staff informed the team after Saturday's practice, leaving many in tears. Some students were visibly distressed, with one even becoming physically ill. "Marcelo was their friend. For many, he felt like family," Mainini recounted.

Governor Maura Healey publicly demanded answers from ICE regarding the arrest. "Yet again, local officials and law enforcement have been left in the dark with no heads up and no answers to their questions," Healey wrote on social media, calling for immediate details about Da Silva’s arrest and his current whereabouts.

Marcelo's girlfriend, Julianys Rentas, expressed her devastation, describing his conditions in detention. "He told me he had chains around his ankles and wrists and was in a cell with 30 other men. He's the youngest there," she said. Both Rentas and another student in the car have underscored that Da Silva is not a criminal, but a well-regarded member of the community.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders. Nick Molinari, president of the Milford Teachers Association, condemned the agents' actions as a deliberate act of cruelty. "This is immoral, unnecessary, and should be universally condemned," he said, calling for solidarity in defending the rights and humanity of their students.

The ICE agents did release the other two students, one of whom held a student visa via an exchange program. However, the agents warned the other student to seek legal representation, indicating that ICE might return.

"The public must take a hard look at this situation and question what exactly is going on," concluded Mainini, highlighting Da Silva’s positive role within the community as an honors student and a member of the school band, with no significant disciplinary record.