Press Release: 2/13/2026

Congressman Moulton to Attend State of the Union with Marcelo Gomes da Silva as His Guest

 

February 12, 2026 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) announced today that he has invited Marcelo Gomes da Silva to attend this year’s State of the Union as his guest. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Marcelo in May 2025 while Marcelo was driving his father’s car. Agents were initially seeking his father. Instead, Marcelo—who has no criminal history—was taken into custody and held for nearly a week at the ICE field office in Burlington, Massachusetts. During his detention, he was denied basic necessities, including access to a shower and a bed to sleep in. 

At the time of his detention, Marcelo was on a student visa that lapsed without his knowledge. An immigration judge later granted him a $2,000 bond after determining he was not a danger to the community.

Since his experience inside the detention facility, Marcelo has maintained a commitment that he made to the other men he shared a cell with: that he would be a voice for all immigrants who have been unfairly detained. 

 

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“I invited Marcelo to join me at the State of the Union because his story captures what’s broken in our immigration system right now,” said Congressman Moulton. “The outpouring of support that Marcelo received following his detainment wasn’t an accident. It happened because people know the kind of person that Marcelo is. He is exactly the kind of young person America should be investing in, not locking up. If we want to call ourselves a nation of opportunity, we should start by uplifting young people like Marcelo.”

“As an immigrant, being invited to the State of the Union is deeply meaningful,” said Marcelo Gomes da Silva. “I’m proud to represent the strength, faith, and hard work of my community. Thank you to Seth for this invite.”

The State of the Union will take place on the evening of February 24th.