Top US immigration officials defend arrest of Massachusetts high school student

FILE PHOTO: Classmates of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, join members of the community at a rally in support of da Silva after their high school graduation in Milford, Massachusetts, U.S., June 1, 2025.   REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

BOSTON (Reuters) -The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement defended on Monday his agency's decision to arrest a Massachusetts high school student on his way to volleyball practice, saying "he's in this country illegally and we're not going to walk away from anybody."

Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, made those comments as reporters asked him during an event in Boston to explain why authorities on Saturday arrested 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who has been in the United States since 2012.