A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered a 14-year-old student to be returned to the state after being detained by federal immigration agents Tuesday and driven to New York.Judge Leo T. Sorokin ordered the Marlborough teen to be returned to her aunt, with whom she will live in Weymouth.On Tuesday, the girl was with her brothers and friends at a parking lot in Marlborough when Homeland Security Investigations agents approached them and detained her. She was then taken to a federal building in Boston before being driven to New York.According to a civil lawsuit, the girl was born in Brazil and entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 2019. She lives in Marlborough with family members, including her two brothers, who are United States citizens, according to the lawsuit.Lawyer Andrew Lattarulo said the girl’s mother died and her father isn’t in her life, and that the teen hadn’t committed a crime and has no criminal history.”The Marlborough Police Department weren’t involved in this matter, and there were clearly federal agents who detained the child,” he said. “And during the hearing, the government was saying things, ‘Oh, the child wasn’t in school,’ painting a pictures that it’s OK to just pick someone up because they were trying to save her. That’s something that the state does,” he said. In a video provided by the teen’s attorney, several men wearing utility vests with guns were seen gathered in a parking lot around several cars.”At some point in the afternoon, Homeland Security agents took custody of three individuals, including one fourteen-year-old juvenile. None of these individuals were ever transferred to the custody of the Marlborough Police Department, and the Marlborough Police Department did not participate in the transport of any of these individuals to any facility in Marlborough, or to any other location in Massachusetts,” Marlborough police said in a statement.In a statement, Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “ICE did NOT arrest a 14-year-old girl — our officers RESCUED her from suspected gang members.”Bis’s statement continued, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest “two illegal aliens from Brazil and suspected Primeiro Comando da Massachusetts gang members.”Bis said when it was confirmed the teen had no family connection to the men, “to ensure the safety and security of the minor, she was placed in the custody of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement within hours of the initial encounter. As standard protocol, she will remain in ORR custody pending the identification of legal guardians.”Bis said vehicle they were in was connected to an alleged attempted home invasion in Walpole, Massachusetts, earlier this month.Gov. Maura Healey denounced the detainment of the teen.“It is absolutely unacceptable that ICE detained a 14-year-old girl in a church parking lot in Marlborough and abruptly moved her out of Massachusetts,” said Healey. “This is a child. ICE never should have detained her like this and separated her from her support system and legal counsel. And it shouldn’t have taken a federal court order for her to be returned. ICE needs to immediately follow this order and return her to Massachusetts with her family.” In a statement, Rep. Lori Trahan said the Brighton High School student was being used as “bait” to target family members. “A child with no criminal history was taken into custody in an apparent overnight attempt to use her as a hostage to coerce her father into turning himself in for deportation. … This is not immigration enforcement. It’s the deliberate targeting of a child to inflict maximum pain on her family,” she posted. “DHS must abandon its clearly adopted policy of using children as bait to detain and deport family members and instead focus its efforts on violent criminals.”The judge said federal authorities must leave no later than 9 a.m. Thursday to return the teen.Boston Public Schools confirmed to NewsCenter 5 that the teenager was not enrolled at any district school for the 2025-2026 school year.

BOSTON —

A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered a 14-year-old student to be returned to the state after being detained by federal immigration agents Tuesday and driven to New York.

Judge Leo T. Sorokin ordered the Marlborough teen to be returned to her aunt, with whom she will live in Weymouth.

On Tuesday, the girl was with her brothers and friends at a parking lot in Marlborough when Homeland Security Investigations agents approached them and detained her. She was then taken to a federal building in Boston before being driven to New York.

According to a civil lawsuit, the girl was born in Brazil and entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 2019. She lives in Marlborough with family members, including her two brothers, who are United States citizens, according to the lawsuit.

Lawyer Andrew Lattarulo said the girl’s mother died and her father isn’t in her life, and that the teen hadn’t committed a crime and has no criminal history.

“The Marlborough Police Department weren’t involved in this matter, and there were clearly federal agents who detained the child,” he said. “And during the hearing, the government was saying things, ‘Oh, the child wasn’t in school,’ painting a pictures that it’s OK to just pick someone up because they were trying to save her. That’s something that the state does,” he said.

In a video provided by the teen’s attorney, several men wearing utility vests with guns were seen gathered in a parking lot around several cars.

“At some point in the afternoon, Homeland Security agents took custody of three individuals, including one fourteen-year-old juvenile. None of these individuals were ever transferred to the custody of the Marlborough Police Department, and the Marlborough Police Department did not participate in the transport of any of these individuals to any facility in Marlborough, or to any other location in Massachusetts,” Marlborough police said in a statement.

In a statement, Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “ICE did NOT arrest a 14-year-old girl — our officers RESCUED her from suspected gang members.”

Bis’s statement continued, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest “two illegal aliens from Brazil and suspected Primeiro Comando da Massachusetts gang members.”

Bis said when it was confirmed the teen had no family connection to the men, “to ensure the safety and security of the minor, she was placed in the custody of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement within hours of the initial encounter. As standard protocol, she will remain in ORR custody pending the identification of legal guardians.”

Bis said vehicle they were in was connected to an alleged attempted home invasion in Walpole, Massachusetts, earlier this month.

Gov. Maura Healey denounced the detainment of the teen.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that ICE detained a 14-year-old girl in a church parking lot in Marlborough and abruptly moved her out of Massachusetts,” said Healey. “This is a child. ICE never should have detained her like this and separated her from her support system and legal counsel. And it shouldn’t have taken a federal court order for her to be returned. ICE needs to immediately follow this order and return her to Massachusetts with her family.”

In a statement, Rep. Lori Trahan said the Brighton High School student was being used as “bait” to target family members.

“A child with no criminal history was taken into custody in an apparent overnight attempt to use her as a hostage to coerce her father into turning himself in for deportation. … This is not immigration enforcement. It’s the deliberate targeting of a child to inflict maximum pain on her family,” she posted. “DHS must abandon its clearly adopted policy of using children as bait to detain and deport family members and instead focus its efforts on violent criminals.”

The judge said federal authorities must leave no later than 9 a.m. Thursday to return the teen.

Boston Public Schools confirmed to NewsCenter 5 that the teenager was not enrolled at any district school for the 2025-2026 school year.