Federal immigration officials are defending the arrest of a high school student who was detained on his way to volleyball practice.
Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Boston field office, said the 18-year-old was taken into custody Saturday because he is in the country illegally.
“We were looking for his father,” Lyons said at a news conference Monday. “Obviously, he isn’t father of the year. He brought his son up here illegally as well.”
Lyons said officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle the teen was driving and determined he was in the U.S. unlawfully. He emphasized that ICE agents have the authority to detain individuals who are in the country illegally.
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“I didn’t say he was dangerous. I said he’s in this country illegally, and we’re not going to walk away from anybody,” Lyons told reporters.
He added that his agency has taken in nearly 1,500 immigrants into custody in Massachusetts in May.
The teen will appear before an immigration judge and will have the opportunity to post bond, Lyons said. The teen’s father has not turned himself in, he added.
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Friends told NBC News that the student was born in Brazil and has attended school in the district since the age of 6.
The arrest has sparked backlash in the community, with protests erupting and local officials demanding answers.
“I’m disturbed and outraged by reports that a Milford High School student was arrested by ICE on his way to volleyball practice,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “Local officials and law enforcement have been left in the dark with no heads-up and no answers to their questions.”
