U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) has invited a Milford teenager who was previously detained by federal immigration authorities to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address later this month.

Moulton announced that Marcelo Gomes da Silva will attend the Feb. 24 speech as his guest. Members of Congress traditionally bring guests whose personal stories highlight political issues.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Gomes da Silva on May 31, 2025, while he was driving to volleyball practice. Agents were initially seeking his father, but instead took Gomes da Silva into custody.

At the time of his arrest, Gomes da Silva was in the country illegally after overstaying a student visa. He later said an ICE officer told him his visa had expired in 2015.

“He said, ‘because you’re illegal, you’re an immigrant,’” Gomes da Silva recounted at a press conference after his release last year.

An immigration judge granted him release on a $2,000 bond after a brief hearing. He has no criminal record.

Moulton said he invited Gomes da Silva to highlight what he sees as flaws in the immigration system.

“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,” Moulton said in a press release emailed to NewBostonPost. “He is exactly the kind of young person America should be investing in, not locking up.”

Gomes da Silva said the invitation was meaningful.

“As an immigrant, being invited to the State of the Union is deeply meaningful,” he said. “I’m proud to represent the strength, faith, and hard work of my community.”

After his release from the ICE facility in Burlington in June 2025, Gomes da Silva described the conditions inside.

“That place? It’s not good. It’s not good,” he said. “Ever since I got here, they had me in handcuffs. I haven’t showered in six days.”

He also said, “All glory goes to God,” after being released.

Federal officials disputed his claims about the detention conditions. ICE said at the time that Gomes da Silva “received three meals a day to include fresh catered sandwiches, received prompt off-site medical attention despite no issues being identified, and thanked one of our officers, stating, ‘Everyone is so nice.’”

The Department of Homeland Security later said agents had been looking for Gomes da Silva’s father, who officials said had prior traffic violations. Court records show his father previously paid a fine related to a driving infraction.

Moulton, who represents Massachusetts’ Sixth Congressional District and is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

“We support securing our borders, we support following the law, but this administration is breaking the law,” Moulton said at a rally following Gomes da Silva’s release last year. “This administration isn’t keeping us safe by putting 18-year-old honors students in prison.”

Gomes da Silva has lived in the United States since he was a young child, after arriving from Brazil. His immigration case remains pending.

The State of the Union address is scheduled for the evening of Feb. 24 in Washington, D.C.