Father in final stages of becoming U.S. citizen detained by ICE for weeks. His family wants to know why.
A father living in Milford, Massachusetts, who's in the final stages of obtaining a to make him a permanent resident of the United States, has been in custody for several weeks. His family wants to know why.
Valdiney Goncalves, a Brazilian citizen, was on his way to work last month, when he was suddenly arrested by federal immigration agents.
Goncalves, a construction worker, had been living in Milford with his wife and two children, all of whom are American citizens. He had already completed several key steps in the immigration process, including an approved marriage petition and fingerprinting. He was waiting for final approval for a Green Card. His wife, Ivelina Ferreira, said he does not have a criminal history.
"My whole world fell apart because I knew that, somehow inside me, I knew he was not coming back that day," Ferreira said.
"In this process for so long"
Goncalves was told the Green Card process could take years.
"Just devastated, to tell you honestly, because we've been in this process for so long and it's been very difficult, affecting our family," Ferreira said.
"He's the one who gets taken away. He's only working all of the time. I haven't seen him doing anything else and he's such a good dad," Ferreira said. "He's just like the center of our home."
Since his arrest, Goncalves has been transferred multiple times, making it difficult for his family to locate him or maintain regular contact. He was first held in Burlington, Massachusetts for five days, then moved to the Plymouth County jail. Goncalves was most recently transferred again to a federal facility in New Hampshire.
"Very hard conditions. Sleeping on the cement floor, just drinking water and eating bread," Ferreira said
"Whole town came to a stop"
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE arrests in Milford, where many families have reported growing fear within the community. The recent detention of Milford High School student Marcelo Gomes da Silva also brought national attention to the town.
Ferreira said ICE has been targeting the heavily immigrant populated community.
"It feels like our whole town came to a stop. Like it was frozen. I wasn't seeing anybody outside," Ivelina said. "My kids who go to school they hear it every day, especially my older one in middle school. He says the atmosphere is really tense in school, it's like always talk in the background about whose parents were taken."
ICE has not responded to WBZ-TV's request for comment regarding Goncalves' case.
