Editor’s Note: This story was produced by Agência Pública (Brazil). You can read the original version here.
It was late afternoon on June 17 in Newport, Vermont, when six Brazilian carpenters left the house where they were working on a renovation. On the horizon, eight patrol cars appeared at high speed and suddenly stopped near the workers. Dozens of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents got out and ordered the group to lie on the ground. “They stepped on our heads, handcuffed us, and took us to the station. And we didn’t know why we were being arrested,” said Salomão Castelo Branco Borges, 21, one of those detained.
With his head against the floor, Borges asked why he was being arrested, but he received no response. The young Brazilian feared making any movement that could cause further aggression. “We were scared, because they could shoot us or use a Taser. That’s how it works there: If you make any sudden move, they can shoot,” he told Agência Pública.
