‘It is meant to be cruel’: Maine man released from ICE custody after 7 months

PORTLAND (WGME) — After seven months of being detained by ICE, an asylum seeker from Brazil is finally reunited with his family in Maine.

Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva is a contractor who says he was in the country legally.

He was on his way to work when ICE agents took him into custody in January during Operation Catch of the Day.

He says for seven months, several times a day, ICE agents tried to get him to self-deport, telling him conditions will only get worse and offering him $2,600 and a plane ticket to leave the country.

But he refused to leave his wife and children.

Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva and wife Alessia Gaspar-Da Silva are celebrating their anniversary Tuesday, days after ICE agents released him from an Arizona detention facility, where he was held for seven months.

After seven months of being detained by ICE, an asylum seeker from Brazil is finally reunited with his family in Maine. (WGME)

He described an overcrowded facility in Mesa, Arizona.

“It’s supposed to be for 25 people, but always it’s over. Fifty. Forty-eight. And we cannot sleep on the floor altogether,” Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva said. “Sign for the deportation. It’s better. It’s more quickly, because some people are here for a long time.”

He still doesn’t know where in Arizona he spent the last six months behind bars, where he says he had to buy bottled water with money his wife sent him because it was unsafe to drink.

He says another detainee from Maine, Emmanuel Damas, died in ICE custody after developing sepsis from an untreated dental infection.

“He saw Mr. Damas laying on the ground and taken away,” Alessia Gaspar-Da Silva said. “It was eye-opening to me of just how broken and corrupt our administration is. My grandfather fought for the things that we are seeing in our streets now. He went over and protected others. And now my own country is doing that.”

“It is meant to be cruel,” Lake Region Indivisible Founder Amy Strum said.

The founder of Lake Region Indivisible had volunteers ready to help the Gaspar-Da Silva family anyway they could, while Alessia Gaspar-Da Silva’s husband went through seven months of separation and trauma.

After seven months of being detained by ICE, an asylum seeker from Brazil is finally reunited with his family in Maine. (WGME)

“I mean, think about it,” Strum said. “He was in survival mode in a prison not knowing if the next day he was going to be sent back to Brazil or some other country.”

Strum was in Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s ear, knowing with her help, Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva would have a better chance of being released.

“She and her office helped immensely,” Strum said.

Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva says though he’s free, he feels no joy, no happiness.

Even walking in the park with a green card, he fears ICE agents may return.

“When I’m inside the house, I feel safe,” Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva said. “But on the outside, I’m not.”

“He’s been conditioned to just accept everything for the past seven months,” Alessia Gaspar-Da Silva said.

When ICE released Marcos Gaspar-Da Silva, he says they kept his boots, his passport and his cellphone, wallet and money.

His family had to buy him a one-way plane ticket from Arizona back to Maine.

The Department of Homeland Security released at statement about the situation Tuesday.

“Marcos Antonio Gaspar-Da Silva, from Brazil, was released from ICE custody on August 13, as a result of an immigration judge order.

The claims Gaspar-Da Silva made regarding detention conditions are greatly exaggerated.

ICE operates detention facilities under performance-based national detention standards, and external agencies regularly audit and inspect these facilities to ensure compliance. ICE provides all detainees with three meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, toiletries, and access to phones for communication with family members and legal representatives. Certified dieticians evaluate all meals to ensure proper nutrition. ICE provides comprehensive care—including medical, dental, and mental health services—from the moment an individual enters custody.

ICE confirms that allegations of overcrowding at the Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center (AROCC) are false. AROCC serves as a staging facility where individuals wait temporarily for their flight to a destination country or another detention facility. Facility staff immediately relocate detainees and initiate maintenance if a toilet issue occurs, though there are no recurring plumbing problems. ICE maintains detention standards that are higher than those of most U.S. prisons holding actual U.S. citizens.

ICE prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in custody. Lockdowns may occur for various reasons, but ICE continues to meet all basic needs during these periods. Outdoor time at ICE facilities meets or exceeds National Detention Standards.”