While some local Brazilian immigrants have celebrated boisterously on the streets after World Cup games, others are staying home -- even avoiding wearing their homeland's green and yellow colors -- out of concern their immigration status might draw unwanted scrutiny from police.

Maria Neris, pastor at Crist? da Miseric¨®rdia, an evangelical church in Framingham, said some immigrants are watching the games at home because they are "living in fear" after the arrest of 2,100 undocumented immigrants in a national crackdown. A proposal by Governor Mitt Romney to give state troopers the power to arrest illegal immigrants has also caused concern.

"We've never lived through such hard times as we do now," she said.

The undocumented immigrants find themselves torn between their pride in the Brazilian national team -- a feeling that has propelled hundreds into the streets of Framingham after recent games -- and worries that an encounter with police could result in deportation to their home country.

Sister Cathy Clifford, principal of Marian High School in Framingham, who has offered World Cup games on a 16-foot screen in a school auditorium for free, said she has been disappointed at how few people have shown up. She wasn't sure why attendance has been poor.

But Ilma Paix?o, former president of the Brazilian American Association, said she knows some immigrants are concerned about celebrating publicly -- and it's a pity, she said, "because World Cup is the time when immigrants feel closer to their home land."

Five undocumented immigrants, who didn't want their names published, said they were planning to stay at home because of their worries. One even said he wouldn't allow his family to wear the green and yellow because he felt it would make them a target.

Neris devoted part of her weekly radio program on WSRO-AM (650) to warning Brazilian immigrants to behave after games so good relations could be maintained with the police.

But Framingham Town Meeting member Sidney Pires, a Brazilian immigrant himself, said the immigrants had nothing to fear.

"The police won't arrest soccer fans. They will always provide security to the good, tax-paying residents," he said.

Immigrant advocate Ilton Lisboa of Westborough agreed, saying, "I don't think people should worry too much. The police are controlling the celebrations in a very polite fashion."

A Framingham Police spokesman didn't immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.

At least one soccer-crazy Brazilian immigrant isn't concerned about public celebrations. Ader Carreira is the proprietor of Brazilegal World Soccer, a sports store with branches in Framingham and Somerville.

Carreira's ritual for watching all the Brazilian matches is simple: He watches alone.

"Since 1986, I enjoy watching the games by myself in the basement. I get so nervous I can't stand listening to other people's opinions," says Carreira. He said he had sold more than 1,200 Brazilian jerseys since the international tournament games started this year.

The only exception to his rule came during the 1994 World Cup when his wife gave birth the day Brazil played Italy in the final in Los Angeles. ``That day I had no remedy but to watch the game with my wife, mother-in-law , and newborn daughter," he said.

"Thank God, Brazil won."