WA high school employee released from Northwest Detention Center

A local high school employee said it was a “brutal” experience inside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

Fernando Alves-Rocha, an employee from Juanita High School, spoke to KIRO 7 after being released on $10,000 bond.

“I’m not a violent person. They report they treat me badly because I was ‘being aggressive and resisting,’ which is not true,” Rocha said.

Juanita High School employee taken into custody by ICE

Last week, the Lake Washington School District confirmed that Rocha, who manages the theater department at Juanita High School, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“We are aware that one of our employees appears to have been detained by ICE,” the district said in a prepared statement. “We have been in contact with the employee to provide appropriate employment documentation. Due to privacy considerations, we are limited in what we can share, but we are monitoring the situation closely.”

Rocha, 45, entered the U.S. in 2018 under a tourist visa, which he allegedly overstayed, according to ICE. ICE claimed he is wanted by Brazilian law enforcement for theft, but Rocha’s family has allegedly produced evidence that he has no record and is not wanted in either the U.S. or Brazil.

Fernando Alves-Rocha, 45, is a citizen of Brazil arrested by @EROSeattle in Monroe, WA. Alves entered the U.S. in 2018 under a tourist visa which he overstayed, and is wanted by law enforcement authorities in Brazil for theft. He’ll be detained by ICE pending removal proceedings. pic.twitter.com/Ksh0FgGZD7

— ICE Seattle (@EROSeattle) July 22, 2025

“He’s definitely in shock,” Rocha’s attorney, Adolfo Ojeda, said.

Ojeda told KIRO Newsradio that Rocha applied for asylum when his tourist visa expired in 2018. He claimed Rocha has a valid work visa.

“In his initial paperwork from the government, it says that they arrested him because he overstayed his initial visa, which is factually correct,” Ojeda said. “But if somebody would have itemized his name on that list, they would have seen ‘Ah, but he’s got a valid asylum application pending, and he’s got a work permit, so he’s technically fine.'”

As for the theft claim? Ojeda says he was unaware until being informed by KIRO Newsradio about ICE’s post on social media.

“That’s not anything to my knowledge,” Ojeda said. “All they told him is that he had an expired visa.”

The Lake Washington School District was working with Rocha to provide the proper employment documents. Lawmakers were also weighing in on the case.

“We have been in contact with Mr. Rocha’s attorney, Lake Washington School District, and state Sen. Dhingra, and are hopeful this situation will quickly resolve itself in court,” Nick Martin, spokesperson for Rep. Suzan DelBene, wrote to KIRO Newsradio. “We will continue to follow the case closely.”

“Donald Trump promised to go after the worst of the worst, but his administration’s heavy-handed tactics in many cases ignore people’s constitutional rights and the rule of law,” Martin added.

This story was originally published on July 22, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Gwen Baumgartner, KIRO Newsradio; KIRO 7