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ICE Detains Visiting Harvard Law Professor Who Agrees to Leave U.S. After BB Gun Case

The State Department revoked his visa in October following the incident outside a Brookline synagogue.

Overview

  • He was taken into custody by ICE Boston’s Enforcement and Removal Operations this week and, according to DHS, chose voluntary departure rather than face deportation.
  • Carlos Portugal Gouvea pleaded guilty on Nov. 13 to illegal use of an air rifle, with other local charges dismissed, and was placed on pretrial probation until April 9.
  • Brookline police said he fired a BB gun near Temple Beth Zion on Oct. 2 and told officers he was hunting rats as Yom Kippur services prompted a lockdown inside.
  • Harvard placed the visiting law professor on administrative leave pending its review, and he is identified by DHS as a Brazilian national.
  • DHS’s Tricia McLaughlin condemned the conduct as antisemitic, while temple leaders previously said they did not believe bias motivated the incident.