Lori Trahan

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said a 14-year-old Marlborough girl was taken into custody by federal immigration officials.

Trahan alleges the girl was used as "bait" to get to family members.

Trahan said she and Sens. Warren and Markey are demanding the girl's release from custody.

(Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide additional information.)

A federal immigration judge has ordered that a 14-year-old Marlborough girl be released after she was taken into custody by ICE.

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Marlborough, said federal immigration officials took the girl into custody on Tuesday as a ploy to get to her family members.

“DHS (the federal Department of Homeland Security) has to abandon this policy of using children as bait to go after other family members,” Trahan said in a phone interview on Wednesday, March 11, before the judge's ruling. “It’s beyond the pale.”

As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the girl was ordered by Judge Leo T. Sorokin to be released from custody, state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Marlborough, said. She had been transported to a facility in New York, according to WCVB, and will be returned to an aunt who lives in Weymouth.

“This is a very unique and good outcome,” Eldridge said Wednesday via phone. “It appears the opposing sides were in agreement, and it does not appear they (federal prosecutors) want to deport her. I’m grateful for the judge’s decision.”

Trahan said the 14-year-old girl, who has not been named, has no criminal record and that ICE's actions appeared to be “a deliberate attempt to make her father turn himself in.”

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the girl was not arrested.

“ICE did not arrest a 14-year-old girl — our officers rescued her from suspected gang members," Bis said.

According to the statement, ICE targeted Jose Cordeiro Ferreira, 28, and Lucas Da Silva Senes De Alemida, 25, two undocumented immigrants from Brazil who are suspected members of the Primeiro Comando da Massachusetts. The car in which the two men were in is suspected to be connected to a Walpole home invasion. The 14-year-old girl was with the two men; she is not related to them.

“Upon further investigation, special agents confirmed that the 14-year-old girl had no familial relationship to either individual,” Bis said in the statement. “Based on this information and 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.”

Trahan, who is in her fourth two-year term as a congresswoman, later issued a statement saying she was "relieved that a federal judge has ordered this young woman returned to Massachusetts and reunited with her family."

“To be absolutely clear, a 14-year-old girl should never have been detained in the first place," Trahan said. "The fact that it took a federal court order to return a child to her family is a damning indictment of DHS policy. This case demands answers. What directives are being issued to agents authorizing the detention of minors? Who approved this? And what is DHS doing to ensure it never happens again?”

Trahan compares situation to Minnesota incident

Earlier, Trahan compared the incident that of Liam Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was taken into ICE custody in Minnesota earlier this year.

“Thank heavens, in that case, the immigration judge ordered his immediate arrest,” she said. “Now they're here doing it again.”

Marlborough Police, in a statement, said they were aware of three people being taken into custody by ICE on Tuesday, including the 14-year-old child. They said none of the three was ever in Marlborough Police custody and that police did not participate in transferring them to any facilities.

“The Marlborough Police Department maintains its commitment to public safety and community trust, while respecting jurisdictional boundaries with federal agencies,” Marlborough Police said in their statement. “In addition, the Marlborough Police Department does not comment on ongoing federal investigations beyond confirming the facts as they relate to local involvement.”

Marlborough Mayor J. Christian Dumais termed the incident “upsetting.”

“The mayor and city leadership want to reaffirm our statement from Jan. 30, 2025, to reassure residents that Marlborough is a community that values dignity, respect and inclusion for all who live here,” Dumais said in a statement. “The city continues to support a diverse community and is committed to ensuring that every resident feels safe, respected and welcome. It is upsetting to witness these incidents that are deeply affecting our community.”

Eldridge said it's unclear why the girl and the other two were targeted. She was ordered be returned to Massachusetts on Thursday.

The girl is not a student at Marlborough public schools, according to a district statement.

"We want to reassure our community that Marlborough Public Schools supports the right of all children to have equal access to public education," according to the statement. "We deeply value every student and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all."