A 13-year-old boy who was taken more than 500 miles away from his family by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains in custody and awaits a bond hearing, which must occur no later than Wednesday, according to a court order. Responding to criticism of the minor's detention, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement last week claiming the young teen is a "public safety threat" with ties to the Brazilian "criminal ring" called gang 33.
Although the Brazilian native was initially set to be released to his mother after being arrested by the Everett Police Department in Massachusetts on October 9, he was instead taken into ICE custody. Unsure of the young teen's location, the family's immigration attorney, Andrew Lattarulo, filed a habeas corpus petition on October 10. Subsequently, United States District Judge Richard G. Stearns ruled the same day that the government must justify the boy's arrest or provide a bond hearing no later than Thursday, October 16. However, once it was confirmed that the minor had been transferred to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia—one hour before the petition was filed—Stearns' order lacked jurisdiction.
