Milford protest after high school student arrested – NBC Boston

A wave of devastation and anger has swept through Milford, Massachusetts, after an 18-year-old high school junior, identified by family as Marcelo, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Saturday.

What should have been a weekend of celebrating graduation transformed into an impassioned fight for liberation, culminating in a mile-long march from Milford High School to Town Hall on Sunday. The community’s anguish was palpable as students and staff, still reeling from the ceremony, united in protest.

“He has two younger siblings and they’re kind of questioning whether they’re ever going to see their brother again,” Marcelo’s cousin, Ana Julia Araujo, said. “He’s not a criminal and they’re treating him like one.”

Marcelo was on his way to volleyball practice Saturday morning when “four cars like jumped in front of him and then detained him,” according to his girlfriend, Julianys Rentas Figueroa.

Later that day, Rentas Figueroa spoke with Marcelo and his parents on a three-way call, during which Marcelo described being “put chains around his ankles and on his wrists” and being transferred from Burlington to Plymouth.

A Massachusetts high school student was detained by ICE officials on Saturday morning, his coach confirmed.

The arrest has drawn criticism from local law enforcement, as well as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.

Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino confirmed that federal agents never notified the local police department of the operation. Tusino also emphasized that Marcelo’s arrest has no bearing on public safety within the town.

“Marcelo was somebody we don’t know, so what does that tell you? If I don’t know you, my officers don’t know you, there’s a reason we don’t know you,” Tusino said. “It’s because you’re probably not a troublemaker.”

Marcelo was scheduled to play the drums at his girlfriend and friends’ graduation ceremony on Sunday. Instead, he remains in a cell.

“I don’t understand why they targeted Marcelo. He’s been in Milford all his life,” Rentas Figueroa said.

Following the graduation ceremony, the overwhelming emotions translated into action. Students and staff marched from the high school to the Town Hall, chanting for Marcelo’s freedom. State Senator Rebecca Rausch joined the chorus of voices, shouting that “Putting high school students in shackles does not make anyone safer.”

Classmates of Marcelo shared their heartbreak and frustration.

“I am just disgusted that I have to deal with this on graduation and see one of my greatest friends be taken away for no reason,” a classmate who asked to remain anonymous said. “I just pray that we can make a difference because this is so depressing.”

According to a press release from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, more than 200 Milford educators joined nearly 1,100 community members at the rally, condemning ICE’s actions and calling for Marcelo’s immediate release after he was ripped from his community “in an act of cruelty.”

“Milford educators believe every student – regardless of race, background, or ZIP code – deserves the right to succeed in their academics and extracurriculars and be safe,” the release read. “Our students are more than just an immigration status. They are teammates heading to practice, musicians and artists creating beauty, scholars striving for excellence, engineers on the robotics team building the future, and student government leaders shaping their schools and community.”

“The Milford student detained yesterday should have been on the court with his team, not in the custody of federal agents,” the release continued. “When even one of our students is targeted, the entire Milford community feels it.”

Nick Molinari, president of the Milford Teachers Association, said the student, who should have been at a volleyball practice with his teammates, was targeted by ICE agents in “a deliberate act of cruelty, traumatizing his family, friends, and peers.”

“This is immoral, unnecessary and should be universally condemned. We will not stand by while the rights and humanity of our students are violated,” Molinari said in a statement. “The Milford Teachers Association proudly stands with its students and the residents of Milford in opposing this dangerous shift in operations. We are committed to defending every student’s right to learn, grow, and be treated with dignity – no matter where they come from.”

The message from the Milford community is clear: they want Marcelo free. NBC10 reached out to ICE agents for comment but has not yet received a response.