A Brazilian man was detained on January 28 by the United States Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) in the city of Stow, in the state of Massachusetts.
According to Democratic Senator Jamie Eldridge, the man is Maximiliano Fernandes, 40 years old. Born in Porto Alegre (RS), he is married, father of four daughters and owner of Stow Cafe.
“We are grateful to everyone who has reached out regarding ICE’s arrest of Stow Cafe owner Max. Congresswoman (Kate) Hogan and I are providing assistance to the family,” Eldridge wrote in a Facebook post.
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When contacted, Itamaraty did not return the attempt to contact the Estadão. The space remains open.
In a statement sent to the newspaper The Boston Globe Last Friday, the 30th, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that Max had an expired non-immigrant visa. According to her, the document was category B2, which allows temporary travel to the USA.
The secretary also said that the man has a criminal record for indecent exposure, assault against a child, assault and kidnapping. He was arrested when he arrived at the Stow Cafe at around 7:15am.
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In a Facebook post, the Stow Police Department said it was aware of the arrest but “was not involved and was not previously notified that enforcement action was taking place.”
Initially, the corporation said that the arrest was related to a case of sexual assault against a person over 14 years old, which occurred in 2024. After the repercussions of the case, the Stow Police Department added a comment to the post, stating that the episode mentioned was “recently resolved in the Concord District Court”.
“To reiterate, we were not aware of this enforcement action nor were we involved. ICE does not provide us with information about its activities, nor does it send us updates after an enforcement action has occurred,” the corporation wrote.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Two Grannies on the Road in 2024, Max stated that he moved to the US in 2005 and that his first job in the country was at an Italian restaurant. In 2011, he and a partner opened Stow Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch dishes.
His wife, whose identity was not revealed, said in an interview with The MetroWest Daily News who hired a lawyer shortly after being informed by neighbors about Max’s arrest. The Brazilian’s defense was not located.
According to a Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by The New York Times in late January, ICE was authorized to make warrantless arrests. As a result, agents are now able to detain people during sweeps if they suspect an irregular migration situation.
