Public records requests revealed that a 19-year-old illegal immigrant guest invited by Rep. Seth Moulton to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was referenced in earlier police reports involving juveniles and an alleged sexual assault.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A 19-year-old illegal immigrant who attended President Donald Trump’s recent State of the Union address as a guest of Rep. Seth Moulton is referenced in police reports connected to incidents involving juveniles and an alleged sexual assault, according to reporting by the Boston Herald.
The reports concern Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who was invited by the Massachusetts Democrat to attend the address when President Trump delivered his speech to Congress on Feb. 24.
According to the newspaper, the Herald submitted public records requests seeking two police reports in which Gomes Da Silva was reportedly listed as a person of interest. The requests were directed to the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office and the Milford Police Department.
The Herald said it sought access to police report number 21-23101 dated Sept. 15, 2021, and report number 21-16254 dated June 30, 2021, both of which referenced the 19-year-old.
Milford Deputy Police Chief John Sanchioni declined to release the reports. According to the newspaper, Sanchioni said the June 2021 report involved “a sexual assault and juveniles,” while the September report “involves juveniles.” He did not provide additional details.
The Herald reported that the younger Gomes Da Silva came to the attention of immigration authorities earlier this year when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were searching for his father over alleged traffic violations. Authorities encountered the teenager while he was driving his father’s vehicle and detained him.
Officials later determined that Gomes Da Silva was in the United States on an expired student visa at the time he was taken into custody. He was reportedly held for several days at an ICE detention facility in Boston.
Gomes Da Silva has denied assaulting anyone and said he learned about the police reports only through media coverage.
The Brazilian-born immigrant has lived in the United States since the age of six, according to reporting from Axios. The outlet reported that he was present inside the House chamber during the State of the Union address when the Department of Homeland Security publicly identified him in a social media post. Congressional staff members then escorted him out of the room.
In the message, the Department of Homeland Security wrote that Rep. Moulton planned to bring Gomes Da Silva as a guest and stated the administration intended to enforce immigration law against individuals in the country without authorization. The statement was posted publicly on X in a message that can be viewed here.
Following his removal from the chamber, Gomes Da Silva appeared in a video alongside Moulton in which he discussed leaving the event. The video can be viewed here.
In the clip, he said he was “disappointed” but not surprised that federal officials did not want “an illegal alien like me to be at the State of the Union.”
Legal scholar Jonathan Turley later commented on the situation in a post on social media, raising questions about congressional offices sheltering individuals in the country illegally. His remarks were shared in a post available here.
Meanwhile, Moulton publicly defended Gomes Da Silva, describing him in a message posted on social media as a “great American.” The post can be viewed here.
According to the Herald, the newspaper is appealing the refusal by both Milford Juvenile Court officials and local police to release the documents related to Gomes Da Silva. The outlet argues the records should be disclosed because the issue has become part of a national debate over immigration enforcement following the State of the Union event.
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