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Maine contractor detained seven months after traffic stop returns home with green card

Aug 16, 2026 · Portland, ME, Brazil

Maine contractor detained seven months after traffic stop returns home with green card

Marcos Gaspar Da-Silva, 32, a general contractor from Bridgton, Maine, and a former attorney in Brazil, was detained by ICE agents on January 20 after being pulled over on Franklin Street in Portland during 'Operation Catch of the Day.' He had a pending asylum case, no criminal record according to a Maine state background check, and a green card petition filed by his U.S. citizen wife, Alessia. He spent nearly seven months in detention, transferred through facilities in Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Arizona, where his wife reported overcrowding, poor sanitation, health problems, and difficulty locating him in ICE's detainee tracker. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said her staff supported Alessia, helped expedite her petition, and pressed detention officials about his medical care. An immigration judge granted him lawful permanent resident status in August, and he was released to return to Maine, where a community welcome was planned at Portland International Jetport.

Timeline

Aug 16, 2026Granted lawful permanent resident status by an immigration judge and released from detention in Arizona after nearly seven months in custody
Jan 20, 2026Detained by ICE after traffic stop on Franklin Street in Portland during 'Operation Catch of the Day'; a Guatemalan day laborer riding with him was also taken into custody

Sources

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