ICE takes into custody Harvard professor linked to BB gun incident, consents to leave the US

Harvard Law Professor Detained by ICE Following Incident Outside Synagogue

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed on Wednesday that ICE has detained a professor from Harvard Law School linked to a shooting incident that occurred outside a synagogue last October.

Carlos Portugal Gouvea, originally from Brazil, was apprehended on October 2 after reportedly firing a BB gun near a synagogue in the Boston area just before Yom Kippur. When questioned by authorities, he stated, “I was on a rat hunt.”

He entered a guilty plea for unlawful use of an air rifle on November 13, while other charges related to disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and property damage were dismissed.

Harvard University has suspended Gouvea pending an investigation. Additionally, leaders from the synagogue mentioned in an email that the shooting wasn’t motivated by anti-Semitism.

Just two weeks after the incident, the State Department revoked his temporary nonimmigrant visa (J-1). On Wednesday, ICE Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations detained Gouvea, who opted to leave the United States voluntarily rather than face deportation, according to DHS.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement emphasizing that working and studying in the U.S. is a privilege. She stated, “There is no place in America for such brazen and violent acts of anti-Semitism.” She also noted that DHS is under no obligation to admit individuals who commit such egregious acts.

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the motive behind the shooting, which reportedly took place outside the synagogue.

Gouvea served as a visiting professor at Harvard, while he is also an associate professor at the University of São Paulo School of Law and serves as CEO of IDGlobal in Brazil. His research reportedly influenced significant decisions made by Brazil’s Supreme Court, and he has worked on issues related to violence against indigenous populations.