Folks,
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, where the country is getting ready to hear the verdict in the assassination of Rio City Councilwoman Marielle Franco, which is expected to be announced tomorrow. (See 2024 story “Rio Police Chief Arrested for Killing Marielle Franco” for some background)
Brazilian Father Detained in Pittsburgh by ICE with Daughter in Hospital
Back home in Pittsburgh, news broke that Bruno Guedes da Silva, a Brazilian immigrant, was detained as he waited outside his daughter’s school, Osborne Elementary, in the suburb of Sewickley.
“Around four men in green vests got out of the cars,” Hadley Haas, a spokesperson for the family, told the Tribune-Review. “They did not ask for any paperwork. They just said they were with (ICE) and they were going to take Bruno with them.”
According to his Congressman Chirs Deluzio, Silva had a valid work visa, social security number, and driver’s license. It was unclear to Deluzio why Silva was being detained and held in Moundsville, West Virginia, since he was in the country legally.
“Once again, we need answers to basic questions about why the Trump Administration is trying to remove him from the country,” said Congressman Deluzio in a statement posted on Facebook.
A spokesperson for ICE downplayed the significance of Silva holding a work visa.
“He was previously arrested by the Border Patrol on May 1, 2022, after he illegally entered the United States and was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration,” ICE said in a statement to the Tribune-Review. “Employment authorization does not confer any type of legal status in the United States. Guedes da Silva remains in ICE custody, pending immigration proceedings.”
Sewickley Borough Council President Cynthia Mullins said she was outraged by the arrest.
“Sewickley police were not notified about this action and did not participate,” Mullins told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Our residents are angry and frustrated at the cruelty we are witnessing every day.”
Daughter Undergoing Chemo Treatment
While Silva is detained at an ICE facility in Moundsville, West Virginia, his six-year old daughter Maria is undergoing her second round of chemotherapy treatment. A representative for the family, Hadley Haas, said that some in the family worried about telling his daughter about the arrest.
“She was initially having a lot of pain at the chemo site,” Haas told the Tribune-Review. “She’s really attached to her dad. Everybody said he treats her like a princess, and they really didn’t want her to be worried about him right now.”
$71,000 Raised to Support Family During Detention
As ICE raids increase in Pittsburgh, many are outraged by the detention of Silva. A GoFundMe was launched to help support the family while their father was detained.
Initially, Addie Sochats, a local immigrants’ rights activist, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $2,000 to cover the couple's initial expenses. After receiving extensive media coverage in the Pittsburgh area on Monday, the GoFundMe had raised more than $72,000 from over 1,000 donors across the region.
"People see what’s happening in Minnesota, and they can't imagine it happening here," Sochats told WESA. “So many people in the community are looking for ways to help."
The GoFundMe for the family can be found here.
This is a developing story and Payday will update as we learn more. Please send tips and new information to melk@paydayreport.com
