Trump makes a gross miscalculation about the popularity of his cruelty to immigrants
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Who is Marcelo and why is he significant?
He is a junior in high school. He plays the drums in the high school band. He takes honors classes. He gets good grades. He's been in the local school system since kindergarten. His family knows everybody in town and everybody knows him. He and his family go to a local church. He has a girlfriend. He's popular. He likes cars. And he's really good at sports. Even though he's a high school junior, he helps coach the girls volleyball team at his high school. And he himself is on the varsity boys volleyball team. And they're a good team. And they work really hard. They're the kind of high school volleyball team that doesn't just practice after school. This weekend, for example, they had an early morning 7.45 a.m. practice.
I played sports in high school and I was into it, but do you know the likelihood of me in high school being at a 7.45 a.m. practice on a Saturday morning? I mean, I was into it, but I was not that into it. But this guy is a high school junior. His name is Marcelo. And this Saturday morning, he was on time, on his way to that 7.45 a.m. volleyball practice Saturday morning. He was carpooling with some of his teammates to that early morning practice. But then they didn't turn up. And his coaches thought, obvious answer. The guys must have, you know, overslept or something. But then ultimately, one of the boys that morning got through to the coach. He texted him. And he told the coach, hey, they arrested Marcelo. These kids were carpooling.
They were on the way to early morning volleyball practice Saturday morning. And Trump's immigration agents pulled them over and they arrested this kid, Marcelo. Again, he is a high school junior. They said they weren't after him. They said they were looking for somebody else. But they took him. This is a kid with... No criminal record at all. He is not known to have ever been in any kind of trouble at all. Again, he is a high school junior honors student on the volleyball team and in the high school band. They took him. They've taken him to an immigration prison all alone. They reportedly are trying to move him now to another immigration prison that is farther from home. He does have a lawyer arguing for him to try to get him before a federal judge to try to get him out. But that is who Trump's agents took on Saturday morning in Milford, Massachusetts. Saturday morning is when they arrested him. Sunday morning, it was graduation day at Milford High School.
And at the graduation ceremony in Milford, Sunday morning, the valedictorian spoke and the class president spoke. And then as soon as the ceremony was over, the whole school marched straight from the graduation ceremony over to the Milford Town Hall to go protest, to try to get Marcelo back.
A Massachusetts town is shaken tonight after a high school junior was picked up by ICE. Good evening, everyone. Thanks so much for joining us at 11. I'm Sam Reed. This comes just one day before the school's graduation. According to the family and friends, Marcelo Gomes came to the U.S. from Brazil with his family at a very young age. The night team's Mike Cerullo was in Milford as a massive crowd called for his release.
What happened during Marcelo's arrest?
A mix of emotions. This is not acceptable. Pouring out onto the streets of Milford. We want him back.
Because he should be with us. He's just one of us. He's just another kid.
It's graduation day, a celebration of hard work and perseverance. But for these students... A sense of sadness, anger, and confusion hangs over as well.
I don't understand why they targeted Marcelo.
Friends and family say Marcelo is a junior at Milford High, taken by ice early Saturday morning on his way to volleyball practice. His girlfriend spoke with him over the phone Saturday afternoon.
He said they had put chains around his ankles and on his wrist. I haven't spoken to him since then. I don't know how he's doing.
This sea of people, some traveled from as far as Providence, is wrapping its arms around her and Marcello's family. Friends say he grew up in Milford and is a key part of the community.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Who is Marcelo and why is he significant?
0:00–3:44
2
What happened during Marcelo's arrest?
3:44–5:08
3
How did the community respond to Marcelo's arrest?
5:08–11:20
4
What incidents reflect the backlash against ICE actions?
11:20–18:15
5
Why is the cruelty towards immigrants politically miscalculated?
18:15–25:49
6
What are the broader implications of ICE's actions across the U.S.?
25:49–43:57
Speakers
8 identifiedMore from The Rachel Maddow Show
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