Criticism intensifies of Worcester police response to ICE action

Yahoo

12-05-2025

WORCESTER — One day after a chaotic scene during an immigration raid by federal agents, some community leaders blasted Worcester police for what they said was excessive use of force.
'The militant police response was egregious and an overuse of force, both federal and local,' said Fred Taylor, president of the Worcester chapter of the NAACP.
A packed room at the YWCA of Central Massachusetts on May 9 heard several speakers condemn the May 8 federal raid on Eureka Street. Numerous videos on the internet show federal agents surrounded by angry residents as authorities attempted to detain a woman of Brazilian descent.
Worcester police were called in as tensions escalated, and two people were arrested. One, according to reports, was the 16-year-old daughter of the woman taken away by federal agents. The girl is seen on video trying to stop the car that took her mother away. She is then forcibly taken to the ground by police.
The other person arrested was Ashley Spring, a Worcester School Committee candidate, who was seen on videos being shoved by police.
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Spring was arraigned May 9 in Worcester District Court on several charges, including assault and battery on a police officer. She was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court on June 23.
Several speakers during the press conference at the YWCA called on City Manager Eric Batista, Mayor Joseph Petty and the City Council to investigate the raid, especially the response by Worcester police.
Petty filed an order on May 9 with the city clerk that asked Batista and Police Chief Paul Saucier to create a written policy on how the city interacts with ICE.
At-Large City Councilor Khrystian King, the council's vice chairman, is also in the camp that feels there is a need for an investigation. He told those in attendance that trauma was inflicted on Worcester, and that the raid was an attack on a community of color.
King called into question how Worcester police are trained, based on the response at Eureka Street. 'There's a flaw there,' said King, who, like Taylor, said there's a need for a civilian review board to scrutinize the work of local police.
King said he didn't have information on whether federal authorities on Eureka Street had a warrant to detain the woman, where she was taken, and where her husband is. Reports indicate he was detained earlier by federal agents.
When asked if the city and its police force collaborated with ICE on the Eureka Street raid and whether people put their hands on police and federal agents during the commotion, King said he didn't have any information. He noted he had only seen a snippet of the videos from the scene and planned to watch more of them.
Batista and Saucier have stated that the city doesn't work with ICE on detainers and raids and doesn't target the city's immigrant community, but is responsible for ensuring community safety.
In response to a Telegram & Gazette inquiry that included how would Worcester police handle future situations of federal agents in Worcester to detain or deport residents, a Police Department spokesman said the incident on Eureka Street is still under investigation, video is being reviewed and further charges might be forthcoming.
As for what happens if ICE returns to the city, King said Worcester will 'not cower.'
One woman spoke up at the press conference about how the city, especially Batista, must be held accountable for not keeping the community safe during the Eureka Street raid, especially since it's no surprise, she said, of what ICE is trying to do.
King responded that accountability is as much of an issue for the City Council as it is for Batista.
District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj can be seen in videos of the Eureka Street incident standing between authorities and the woman targeted for detention. "You do not have an arrest warrant," Haxhiaj can be heard saying. "These are not targets, these are my constituents."
At the YWCA press conference, Haxhiaj said the response by the federal government and the Worcester police at Eureka Street was 'completely unacceptable.'
'The message for ICE is get out of our city,' she added.
Haxhiaj later told a reporter her job is to protect her constituents, and while she's not sure how she will act if another ICE raid happens in Worcester, she said it's her duty to be involved.
'I feel that as a city councilor, as a mother, as a resident, as a representative, it is appropriate for me to defend my constituents when I see somebody in distress, that is my job to protect them," said Haxhiaj. "And whatever I can do to support my community, I will always step up."
Haxhiaj said the city is creating a rapid response network to protect families from federal ICE raids. A hotline operated by the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts is part of that network.
Operators take calls from people who see ICE agents in their neighborhood, and then immediately contact residents who have been trained in emergency response to go to the site of the raid.
That's what happened on Eureka Street, said Dálida Rocha, executive director at Neighbor to Neighbor. It oversees the hotline and is part of a network of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said Rocha, that trains residents in rapid response.
Roughly 100 Worcester residents have been trained, said Rocha, and their role is to document what happens during raids.
'So you are an eyewitness,' said Rocha. 'You're becoming an eyewitness to what's happening. And usually because people's rights are being violated, like the mom's was being violated yesterday.'
She continued: 'And people are just being kidnapped and disappearing. So, we need to make sure that the community is bearing witness.'
Neighbor to Neighbor is in contact with the office of state Attorney General Andrea Campbell, said Rocha, and information gathered is posted on the organization's website.
Angel Flores of Worcester took in the press conference at the YWCA. Flores said he's lived in Worcester for 50 years and has a relative on the Worcester police force.
'My heart breaks,' said Flores of what happened on Eureka Street.
He feels federal agents and Worcester police were overly aggressive at the scene. As for how local police should respond if there is another federal raid, Flores said, 'I wish I had the answer.'
Contact Henry Schwan at [e-mail]. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Criticism intensifies of Worcester police response to ICE action