Mass. man detained by ICE will return from Texas to await a deportation hearing

A Brazilian man, who had been living in Marlborough with his family, is returning to Massachusetts from a Texas detention facility. A judge is allowing him to return home and await a deportation hearing in Massachusetts, according to his lawyer.

Federal immigration officials detained 29-year-old Lucas Dos Santos Amaral last month in Massachusetts. As WBUR previously reported, Dos Santos Amaral told his wife and lawyer that he was driving to work when ICE agents pulled him over in Marlborough. They told him they were seeking someone who looked like him.

At first, he was held at the Plymouth County jail, but was abruptly transported to Texas before he could attend his first bond hearing. Attorneys say the move indicated he was being fast-tracked for deportation despite not having a criminal record. (He had one dismissed charge of driving without a license.)

President Trump has begun to carry out his promise of a mass deportation effort in the U.S. He said the focus is on those who have committed crimes, but reports show many of those arrested by ICE do not have a criminal record. There have been many so-called collateral arrests, of people immigration agents detain while pursuing others.

Dos Santos Amaral's lawyer, Eloa Celedon, said her client entered the U.S. legally seven years ago on a tourist visa, which has since expired. He has a painting business, and his wife said they have one young child and another on the way.

Celedon said Dos Santos Amaral should arrive in Marlborough by Monday — and be back in court within a few months. A Massachusetts judge will ultimately decide whether or not he gets deported.