‘He’s definitely in shock’: WA high school employee detained by ICE, district confirms

This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com

An employee from Juanita High School has been taken into custody by immigration officials.

The Lake Washington School District confirmed that Fernando 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. He is wanted by Brazilian law enforcement for theft.

“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 is currently working with Rocha to provide the proper employment documents. Lawmakers are 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.

Rocha’s bond hearing is scheduled for July 29, according to his attorney.

Contributing: Gwen Baumgartner, KIRO Newsradio

©2025 Cox Media Group