Brazilian father deported after ICE detained him and son during Martha's Vineyard fishing trip
Sep 2, 2026·Location: Menemsha, MA
Country of origin: Brazil

Rogério da Silva Lima, 42, a Brazilian carpenter and painter living on Martha's Vineyard, was taken into ICE custody with his teenage son Nycolas during their first fishing trip together near Menemsha after the U.S. Coast Guard boarded their boat and transferred them to ICE at Woods Hole. His employer, Rory Moreis, called him a 'hard worker' who was 'determined, dedicated, no limit to the hours or days to work,' while family friend Andrea James described him as 'a hard-working man' and his son as 'the kindest kid on the planet.' DHS said the pair entered the U.S. without authorization in 2021, that da Silva Lima's asylum claim was denied and his appeal dismissed in 2024, and both had been issued removal orders in 2023. His attorney, Amelia Ritenour, filed an emergency habeas corpus petition, and a community GoFundMe raised more than $17,000 for legal aid. Nycolas was released after four days into his adult brother's care, and a federal judge, Indira Talwani, later ordered da Silva Lima's release, ruling ICE had missed the 90-day statutory window to detain and remove him. He remained under the removal order and ultimately departed the U.S. unshackled on a civilian flight paid for by ICE, saying, 'It was the worst feeling in the world. I love my sons, and I did not want to leave them behind.' His sons Nycolas and Nayran remain on Martha's Vineyard to continue school and work.
Timeline
Sources
- Father detained by ICE back in Brazil - MV Times
mvtimes.com·Sep 2, 2026·archived copy
- On fishing and freedom - MV Times
mvtimes.com·Jun 25, 2026·archived copy
- UPDATED: Father detained by ICE released - MV Times
mvtimes.com·May 26, 2026
- Cape Cod high schooler and father in ICE custody after ‘highly unusual’ Coast Guard arrest
WGBH·May 21, 2026
- ICE ordered to release detained Brazilian father
mobileapp.bostonglobe.com·May 27, 2026
- Coast Guard, then ICE, detains Martha’s Vineyard teen, father on fishing trip
Yahoo News·May 22, 2026
- Cape Cod high schooler and father in ICE custody after 'highly unusual' Coast Guard arrest
capeandislands.org·May 26, 2026
- Taken from Menemsha - MV Times
mvtimes.com·May 20, 2026
- vineyardgazette.com
- Federal judge orders ICE to release Brazilian father who was detained while fishing off Martha’s Vineyard with son
Boston Globe·May 26, 2026
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