PULSE POINTS:
What Happened: Hugo Monteiro, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Brazil, was briefly detained by ICE outside Cambridge District Court in Medford due to a mix-up, but was released after officers confirmed his identity.
Who’s Involved: Hugo Monteiro, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and President Donald J. Trump’s administration.
Where & When: Medford, Massachusetts, outside Cambridge District Court, on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Key Quote: “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” Monteiro said. “I voted for Trump.”
Impact: Monteiro’s support for ICE and Trump’s immigration crackdown, despite his mistaken detention, underscores public backing for America First policies to secure the border and deport illegal aliens.
IN FULL:
Naturalized U.S. citizen Hugo Monteiro has brushed off his brief detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside Cambridge District Court in Medford, Massachusetts, on May 16, 2025, affirming his support for the agency’s mission. The 31-year-old Brazilian-American, mistaken for an illegal immigrant, was quickly released after proving his citizenship and stood firm in backing Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Monteiro, who had just left the courthouse after assisting a client, was approached by four plainclothes ICE officers around 9:15 AM. “They were telling me I was under arrest, that I was in trouble,” he recalled. Handcuffed and escorted to a car, officers soon verified Monteiro’s identity, confirmed their error, and released him by 9:30 AM.
“They explained to me they wanted to make sure they had the correct person,” Monteiro said, noting the officers mentioned prior arrests near the Medford courthouse. Despite the ordeal, he harbored no resentment. “Unfortunately, they called the wrong person, but I still support whatever they’re doing,” he said. “I voted for Trump. There are a lot of bad people in this country, to be honest with you, [and they] don’t deserve to be here. No hard feelings.”
Monteiro’s detention comes amid a surge in ICE operations under Trump’s administration, which reversed a Biden-era policy banning routine courthouse arrests. Trump policy mandates coordination with court security, but Monteiro’s arrest on a public sidewalk suggests operational hiccups, as court security was unaware of the action.
Monteiro’s unwavering support highlights the public’s broad approval of Trump’s robust immigration enforcement.