Medeiros' aunt had this to say about him in the Boston Globe:

Medeiros was undocumented, having entered the United States through Mexico about eight years ago, his aunt, Meire Medeiros, said yesterday, speaking in Portuguese during a telephone interview from her Framingham home. "He came here to have a better life,"she said. Medeiros lived in Framingham with another aunt, Maisa Hamel...

"He never had any problems with his health; he was a young man," said Meire Medeiros.

Another nephew of Meire Medeiros was picked up by Immigration and Customs enforcement and is scheduled for deportation.

Just last month, another Brazilian died from this terror in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.  Edmar Araujo, who is epileptic, died from a seizure after he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.  Needless to say, psychological or physical stress is what causes a seizure.  Worst of all, his sister claims to have tried to bring his epilepsy medicine to the local police that picked him up, but that information was not used to save his life.  It's been over a month and we still don't have answers as to whether or not Araujo's death could have been prevented, and who is to blame. 

Fortunately, Karen Ziner, a reporter with the small Rhode Island newspaper, the Providence Journal, has been aggressively pursuing the answers in Araujo's case.  She put out two excellent reports, a report after he died, and a recent one that clarifies the 78 minutes that lead to his death, along with a chronology.  The most disturbing detail Ziner has picked up is that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents migth not have followed procedure. 

Among several questions posed to ICE authorities by The Journal last week, one was about protocol for transporting ICE detainees from one district to another, including how many agents are required when one person is being moved.

Woonsocket Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle said yesterday that only one agent came to transport Araujo to Providence.

ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier directed a reporter to the Homeland Security Web site.

The protocol for land transportation of detainees does not state directly how many ICE agents must be involved when transporting a single detainee, however it does refer more than once to “a driver and assistant driver.”

The protocol states that “the escorting officer/assistant driver will instruct the detainees about rules of conduct during the trip,” and “the main driver is responsible for managing the detainees’ move from the staging area into the vehicle.” The assistant driver is also responsible “for detainee oversight during transport.”

That makes two traffic stops in over a month that have resulted in the deaths of Massachusetts Brazilian migrants.

Medieros would have attended the Brazil vs. Mexico soccer game in Gilette Stadium, today.  I hope they observe a moment of silence for him, and for all of the migrants that are suffering from fear in the U.S.

Centro Presente will also be hosting a vigil at 5:30 PM, today, in front of Saint Lucas Church, 201 Washington Avenue, Chelsea, MA.  I will be attending and taking pictures and video for those that are reading from afar.

UPDATE: The Associated Press picked this up.

UPDATE 2: I just spoke with the Massachusetts State Police Media Relations Office.  Spokesman Barry O'Brien didn't give me anything new, because the Essex County District Attorney is investigating this. 

However, O'Brien did point out an innacuracy in the Boston Globe article.  While they said Medieros was picked up on Friday, they did not specify that it was August 31st.  Scooped!