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A 32-year-old New Bedford resident who has lived in the United States since he was 2 years old is in immigration detention in Maine due to a drug charge resolved a decade ago, according to his attorney.
At the end of March, after returning from a vacation abroad, Rui Murras was detained by U.S. immigration officers at the airport. He is currently being held at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine, while his family fights to bring him home.
“He is a legal resident with a valid green card,” Sofia Cabral-Murras, his sister-in-law wrote on a fundraising page created to raise money for legal expenses following his detention. “He traveled out of the country on vacation and was detained by Border Patrol on his return over an old record.”
Born in Portugal, Murras has lived nearly his entire life in New Bedford. Supporters say he has been working full-time and sharing a home with his longtime partner.
The record stems from a 2012 case in which Murras was charged with distributing a Class D controlled substance — typically marijuana — and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Authorities dismissed the distribution charge but Murras admitted to sufficient facts on the conspiracy charge. According to court records, Murras received a verbal warning at the time about the possible impacts on his residency status.
The conspiracy charge was dismissed on recommendation of the probation department nearly 8 months later on July 30, 2013.
In 2017, Murras was charged with operating under the influence. According to court records the case was dismissed the following year, after Murras completed an alcohol education program—standard procedure for a first-time offense under Section 24D of Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts Code.
The court imposed no jail time on Murras for the OUI. Roth said his client’s drug charge from over a decade ago is the main issue in his immigration case.
Green cards don’t guarantee protection
For legal permanent residents, even dismissed charges can carry significant consequences. Legal permanent residency — often referred to as a green card — grants the right to live and work in the United States indefinitely, but it does not shield individuals from deportation. They can still face removal, particularly in cases involving criminal charges.
“This case, in particular, isn’t a matter of civil rights violations,” said Stephen Roth, Murras’s attorney. “It is within the bounds of the law.”
Roth said his client’s situation is not unique. Under current federal enforcement priorities, permanent residents with past criminal records may be detained when returning from travel abroad — even for offenses long considered resolved.
Murras would not be the first deported under such circumstances in the community. Between the 1980s and the 2010s, thousands of Portuguese in Bristol County were deported after drug-related charges. A delegation of the Azorean Regional Government recently visited New Bedford to speak with local activists about mass deportation scenarios.
Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, federal authorities have adopted an even more aggressive posture toward permanent residents with any criminal history, regardless of how minor or how long ago the offense occurred.
“As an immigration attorney, I’ve been advising clients against international travel,” Roth said. “If you’re a permanent resident with no criminal record, it’s usually safe. But lately, even people without convictions are being flagged, sometimes under national security provisions that are rarely used.”
Recent deportation cases have included two campus activists in New York who participated in pro-Palestinian protests last year.
The only true safeguard against deportation, immigration experts say, is U.S. citizenship. But that path can be jeopardized — even for longtime residents — when criminal charges enter the picture.
“Part of the naturalization application requirements is showing that you’ve been a person of good moral character for the five years prior to applying,” said Roth.
The family has raised over $18,000 so far to assist with legal expenses.
Murras’s family has declined to speak to reporters. In a statement posted to the GoFundMe page, his sister-in-law reiterated their message: “Rui is not a criminal. He is a good person who does not deserve to be in jail while this gets cleared up.”
Email Eleonora Bianchi at ebianchi@newbedfordlight.org
If he planned on staying in the USA, why didn’t he get his citizenship?
Citizenship isn’t some sort of magical thing you get by wishing for it, for many people it takes decades to be able to get it.
You go through the process. I’ll wait.
It’s not something you actually have to do, that’s the thing. At least, you didn’t used to have to do it. All this guy knows is The USA, this is his home, he might as well have been born here, he doesn’t remember anything before he came, he was 2.
This is crazy. He’s been here his entire life. The charge was dismissed. How do we stop this from continuing to happen?
Vote for Democrats, that’s how!
It was the Dems who caused this by their open borders.
We need immigrants. They do the jobs that U.S. citizens born here will not do. Conservatives have no problem stuffing their faces with bacon that immigrants slaughter, fish that they gut, and lettuce that they pick. They wash the dishes in our restaurants, build our homes, care for our elderly and cut our grass. They contribute to social security and pay taxes to our communities in much greater amounts than the benefits they receive from those taxes. The staffing to facilitate more immigrants should be tripled, but conservatives won’t do it because these immigrants are the wrong color. Republicans want immigrants from Norway, Sweden and Germany. They are the “right” color. Our families all came here as immigrants, how dare we pull the ladder up behind us.
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The US SUPREME COURT HAS RECENTLY RULED that potential deportees have the right to a judicial hearing where they can be defended by a lawyer. Let’s hope this happens in this case and all the others. So far, this administration has refused to return someone it has wrongfully deported. This administration continues to issue illegal orders which violate the US Constitution. Those who object and wish to peacefully exercise their FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS of FREE SPEECH and FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY will have that opportunity on Saturday, April 19th at Noon in Fairhaven. There will be a peaceful protest near the corner of Route 6 and Main Street near the Fairhaven High School organized by the Fairhaven Town Democratic Committee. A big THANK YOU to the Fairhaven Town Democratic Committee!
Just FYI: there are going to be off duty federal agents joining some of these protests. We are hoping most of them are on your side, and going to just be peacefully protesting the unlawful actions of the administration, but keep in mind they’re there. Obviously I’m not going to dox any of my guys.
The US SUPREME COURT HAS RECENTLY RULED that potential deportees have the right to a judicial hearing where they can be defended by a lawyer. Let’s hope this happens in this case and all the others. So far, this administration has refused to return someone it has wrongfully deported. This administration continues to issue illegal orders which violate the US Constitution.
Apparently now any reason can be used to detain someone. Better to not travel out of the country. I don’t know how anyone can afford to do that anyway.
For a profession, the responsibilities of judgment must take a toll on those involved. I hope they are consistent and fair. The preponderence of evidence should weigh in this individual’s favor. But in our prior judicial system it appears that the unquestionably guilty go free, then can become President! Under the newly revamped system, even a dismissal of complaint makes you unquestionably guilty!
USCIS is also revoking legal status on non political law abiding students for no reason. Trump said graduate from college and you should get a green card now they are getting deportation orders. Students here legally learning English and the American way. Does Trump even know?
I have some emptily for this individual but opening our borders and flying people in from foreign countries is what is causing the real problems that this fellow is suffering. American citizens are doing without housing and medical care due to the open border policies, not to mention what has happened to education.
Understand and share your concern about housing, education, etc. however, statistically, speaking immigrants are less likely to commit crimes, and those who do require public assistance are on it for an average of two years. Once they’re on their feet and established, immigrants become a net positive economically speaking.
The issue isn’t immigrants or the spending on social safety nets, it’s a revenue issue.it’s the accumulation of wealth by the ultra rich and the legal loopholes that allow them to avoid taxes. It’s the lack of regulation and stagnant minimum wage that allows corporations to exploit workers; it’s the kickbacks and invitations to privatize public services from corrupt gov officials that allows corps to extract wealth while providing lower quality, etc.
We don’t have a spending issue; we have a revenue issue. Most people don’t understand how marginal tax rates work, and certainly don’t realize that the top marginal tax rate during the new deal was 91%. Immigration, culture wars, etc. are all intended to distract the public from the class war that we’re in (and losing terribly).