“As I walked out looking at 15 to 20 guns pointing at me and my family I prayed, ‘God, if this is my last day, please take care of my children,’” says Isael Rivera, the 31-year-old father of five arrested for daring to use his state issued religious exemption from vaccines.

Isael has been in jail since March 8, 2025, after a pediatrician reported the family to Massachusetts Child Protective Services alleging “neglect,” solely because the homeschooling family refused to vaccinate their 9-month-old baby.

If people can be arrested for using their religious freedom rights, then America really doesn’t have religious freedom at all.

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“The doctor said if we didn’t vaccinate, he’d have to report us,” said Isael.

Isael Rivera and Ruth Encarnacion had already secured a state issued vaccine exemption for each of their 5 children. But apparently, the pediatrician doesn’t believe parents should have the right to religious exemptions. So, despite the fact the pediatrician’s own report noted the family’s children were in perfect health, the doctor reported the parents for “neglect.”

Just days later, MA Child Protective Services (CPS) surrounded the family’s home with a cadre of police officers, pounding at the doors and windows demanding access to the children. No one answered the door.

The CPS workers came back the next day with a court order to seize the children from Isael and Ruth, but the family was gone. Infuriated, CPS ordered an all-out manhunt for the family ... finding them in Texas just a little over a week later.

On the morning of March 8, 2025, under the impression that Isael and Ruth had “kidnapped” their own children, 15-20 U.S. Marshalls and Texas Troopers surrounded the Texas Airbnb where the family was staying. Guns drawn, the officers screamed for Isael and Ruth to “come out with your hands up,” as if they were dangerous criminals.

Isael and Ruth are not dangerous criminals; they are simply Bible believing Christians who chose not to vaccinate their children. Massachusetts state law protects that right, by offering religious exemptions to vaccines.

But an ideologue doctor and CPS workers disagree with the state law and religious freedom rights. So, this father of five has sat in county jail, surrounded by rapists, murderers, and hardened criminals, for over two months. His bond is set at 20,000 dollars.

Ruth also went to jail, however, the family managed to raise enough money to secure bail for the mother of five.

“I don’t think a 51A [neglect report] should have been filed in the first place,” attorney Kevin Larson told reporters. “The doctor’s appointment said the child was completely healthy.”

Even so, CPS has taken custody of all five of Isael and Ruth’s children, aged 9 months to 10 years old. Ruth is not allowed to live with the children and instead is only allowed limited, supervised visits with her children. Isael remains in jail.

There is no word yet as to whether CPS forced the children to be vaccinated after taking the children away from their parents.

This incident in Massachusetts is yet another chapter in the fight for parental religious freedom rights. Liberty Counsel has worked on many similar cases in the past, even before the dangerous COVID shot mandates were forced upon Americans.

+ + From Massachusetts to New York and beyond. . .

In fact, our case against the state of New York and Gov. Hochul’s outrageously tyrannical COVID vaccine mandates is now pending at the U.S. Supreme Court, which will review our case during their super conference this fall.

In this case, Liberty Counsel represents health care workers. Despite federal employment law under Title VII, Gov. Hochul and her crew ordered health care employers to vax 100 percent of their employees and disregard their rights to religious accommodation. Any employer who granted even one religious exemption would face daily fines and lose their business license.

This is outrageous and violates federal law and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

We need your financial help to fight fundamentally important battles like these for religious liberty. Thankfully, a generous supporter has established a Challenge Grant which will DOUBLE the impact of every donation made to our legal fund today. Please, help us defend the faithful by offering your best possible gift today.

Finally, please be in prayer for Isael, Ruth, and each of their five children.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

 
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Sources:

Eastman, Joan. “Fitchburg Family Flees to Texas amid Alleged Persecution by Police and DCF for Not Vaccinating Infant.” Boston Broadside, April 4, 2025. Bostonbroadside.com/dcf/fitchburg-family-flees-to-texas-amid-alleged-persecution-by-police-and-dcf-for-not-vaccinating-infant/.

“Massachusetts Couple Accused of Kidnapping Five Children from State Custody.” American Focus, April 15, 2025. Americanfocus.online/massachusetts-couple-accused-of-kidnapping-five-children-from-state-custody/.

“‘Parents Accused of ‘Kidnapping’ Their Own Children from State Custody after Refusing Vaccines, and Texas Cooperates with Their Extradition back to Deep-Blue State of Massachusetts.’” Seeds of the Void Substack, April 18, 2025. Bellerian1.substack.com/p/parents-accused-of-kidnapping-their.

‌Semon, Craig S. “Fitchburg father charged with kidnapping own kids held of $20k.” Telegram.com, April 3, 2025. Telegram.com/story/news/courts/2025/04/03/fitchburg-father-charged-with-kidnapping-own-kids-held-on-20k/82779569007/.