Latest news with #FerreiradeOliveira
Newsweek
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Video: Dozens of Neighbors Confront ICE Agents During Arrest Attempt
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Worcester City Manager Eric Batista and Police Chief Paul Saucier released bodycam footage of the uproar that broke out around U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents who recently arrested a Brazilian national in the Massachusetts town. Newsweek reached out to ICE by email outside of normal business hours for comment on Saturday afternoon. Why It Matters President Donald Trump has initiated a nationwide deportation as part of his administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, which had much public backing when he took office in January, according to polling at the time. Critics have raised concerns about due process, racial profiling, and the detention of individuals with long-standing ties to their communities as a result of the raids. Worcester has been the focus of a few ICE-related disputes in the past month as well, with ICE detaining several nonviolent immigrants without legal status and drawing backlash from the community. Residents gather on Mother's Day to hold a rally to protest against ICE officers who arrested Ferreira de Oliveira, a Brazilian resident, on May 11 in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. Residents gather on Mother's Day to hold a rally to protest against ICE officers who arrested Ferreira de Oliveira, a Brazilian resident, on May 11 in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images What To Know ICE agents arrested Brazilian national Rosane Ferreira De Oliveira, 40, on May 8 and charged her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon against a pregnant victim. Police said that Ferreira De Oliveira in February used a phone cord in an assault on her 16-year-old daughter, according to Boston-based station WBUR. An ICE spokesman told WBUR Ferreira De Oliveira, a native of Brazil, was taken into custody because she is in the country illegally, and that the state criminal charges are a separate matter. While initial proceedings took place on her case, Ferreira De Oliveira remained in ICE detention at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. The arrest, however, caused deep distress within the community, as several people tried to intervene, with many begging the local police not to assist ICE in arresting Ferreira De Oliveira. In response, Batista and Saucier released three videos that total around one hour of footage of body camera footage from Worcester police who arrived amid the chaos as people tried to help push back against ICE agents. "The footage of a family being torn apart is disturbing to watch but the municipality cannot interfere in or prevent a federal detainment," Batista said in a statement. "As a community, we must come together in support of one another and not allow external forces to divide us." Police did intervene as Ferreira De Oliveira's daughter tried to chase down the vehicle that took her mother away, crying and screaming hysterically as police tried to subdue her. She was then arrested, but Saucier has requested the court to dismiss the case. He stressed, however, that interference during the execution of official duties "is never acceptable." According to WBUR, 911 calls described over two dozen people surrounding ICE agents. In another snippet, someone demanded that Saucier arrive at the scene to intervene. Batista on Friday also issued an executive order that will prohibit local police from participating in enforcing immigration laws, except in the case of officer safety. What People Are Saying Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier in a Saturday email to Newsweek said: "To ensure transparency and provide a clearer perspective of the incident, we are releasing the dispatch calls and body-worn camera footage. By doing so, we aim to illustrate the chaotic nature of the situation as experienced by the officers who had to make rapid, critical decisions in the moment to ensure the safety of everyone on the scene." He added: "Given the totality of circumstances, the Worcester Police Department is requesting that the Court dismiss the case against the juvenile that was arrested during the incident, but it is important to emphasize that assaulting or interfering with law enforcement officers as they carry out their duties is never acceptable. The Worcester Police Department remains committed to fulfilling our responsibilities of protecting all residents of the City of Worcester." City Manager Eric Batista in a statement to News 10 Boston said: "I recognize the significant impact this incident has had on our community. It has created division and caused trauma to the individuals directly involved and to the greater community at large. It is my hope that releasing all of the body-worn camera footage and establishing a clear policy on how municipal employees are to engage with ICE agents is the first step in repairing any unintentional harm and can help determine how, as a community and a municipality, we respond in these situations." He continued: "I want to be undeniably clear that our Police Department will never target individuals based on their immigration status. The body-worn camera footage from the first responding officer will show that the target of ICE's operation was already detained by federal agents prior to WPD's arrival and that WPD did not assist ICE with the civil arrest. The footage of a family being torn apart is disturbing to watch but the municipality cannot interfere in or prevent a federal detainment. As a community, we must come together in support of one another and not allow external forces to divide us. Worcester has always and will always be a welcoming and inclusive city." What Happens Next? The courts will convene on Monday to continue mediating the case of Ferreira De Oliveira, and it may vacate the daughter's arrest.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Conduct that should be vilified': US Attorney decries local attempts to obstruct ICE operations
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley on Wednesday decried local attempts to obstruct ICE operations, following reported assaults on law enforcement officers in a Worcester neighborhood last week. 'The interference with ICE operations around Massachusetts has been disturbing, to say the least,' Foley said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. 'This conduct poses significant public and officer safety risks. It is conduct that should be vilified rather than glorified,' Foley said. 'I will not stand idly by if any public official, public safety officer, organization or private citizen acts in a manner that criminally obstructs or impedes ICE operations,' Foley said. Foley's comments came days after two people, a juvenile and a Worcester School Committee candidate, were arrested after chaos erupted and police officers were assaulted on Eureka Terrace in Worcester when federal agents detained Brazilian national Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira, 40. Ferreira de Oliveira is in the country illegally and faces previous criminal assault charges, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to Boston 25 News. Worcester police arrested Ferreira de Oliveira back on Feb. 1 on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a pregnant woman, ICE officials said. Worcester Police said officers responded to Eureka Terrace around 11:15 a.m. Thursday after learning of25 people reportedly surrounding a federal agent. Cell phone video taken outside in the Worcester neighborhood showing ICE agents detaining Ferreira de Oliveira, and a crowd of people surrounding the officers, has garnered national attention. Worcester police officers and federal agents 'were threatened, abused and even assaulted on scene,' Worcester Police Patrol Officers' Union Local 911 President Thomas Duffy said in a statement released Friday night. Also Friday, the police union called for an ethics investigation into City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, accusing the local councilor of using her elected position to incite aggression towards police officers. 'Regardless of political opinions or views, city officials should never condone the assault of an officer and flat-out disregard to the point of violent opposition, the authority of police to maintain safety and public order,' Duffy said Friday night. Haxhiaj's office said Monday that she will not comment at this time. Earlier Friday, during a press conference with other councilors, Haxhiaj said: 'The message for ICE is: Get out of our city.' Foley, the U.S. Attorney, said Wednesday that her office 'along with our federal partners, will investigate any violations of federal law and pursue charges that are warranted by such activity.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Trump's ICE Used a Woman's Kids and Grandchild as ‘Bait' To Arrest Her
When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira last week in Worcester, Massachusetts, the situation rapidly devolved into chaos and community outrage. Multiple recordings of the incident went viral, but what bystanders did not capture on video was how federal agents were able to draw Ferreira-De Oliveira out in public where they could arrest her in the first place. ICE used Ferreira De Oliveira's loved ones to lure her out of her home — where agents couldn't arrest her — and onto Eureka Street, three people with direct knowledge of the matter and another source familiar with the situation tell Rolling Stone. Two of the sources independently say that ICE used the undocumented Brazilian woman's daughters and grandchild as 'bait,' in an operation that the Trump administration is now touting as another victory in its sprawling, often lawless crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. Last Thursday, 21-year-old Augusta Clara, her three-month-old baby, and Clara's 17-year-old sister had just begun driving away from their home when they were stopped by ICE agents. The three of them and Ferreira de Oliveira, who entered the United States in 2022, are part of a Brazilian immigrant family who live together in the greater Boston area. (The family members do not all share the same immigration status.) Ferreira de Oliveira, who is 40 years old, was still at their nearby home when she received a phone call from one of her daughters, who said ICE had pulled them over and were threatening to arrest Clara. Ferreira de Oliveira's frightened daughter told her mother that she needed to leave the home now and come meet them on the street, because ICE was telling them that if they arrested Clara, they weren't allowed to leave the baby in the hands of a minor. So, the feds insisted, grandma needed to rush over to take custody of the baby. Shortly after Ferreira de Oliveira arrived on the scene, ICE took her into custody. The agents suddenly no longer seemed interested in the 21-year-old daughter. ICE did not arrest her or her 17-year-old sibling. The feds never produced a warrant for Clara, which they claimed they had, and it is unclear if one ever existed. 'They are traumatized for life,' says one of the sources with direct knowledge of the situation. 'We have an undocumented family who came to this country for reasons that are not public, who all live together, and they are now torn apart in a very violent and sensational manner, which is now on video for them to see for the rest of their lives,' this person adds. 'When I was with the 17-year-old, she kept watching the videos, and I kept wanting to tell her, 'Don't watch the videos.' They're only going to re-traumatize you. The whole family is still in shock, [and] these girls' lives are shattered.' In a draft for a potential public-fundraising message, Clara appears to confirm certain details of this reporting. 'Everything started the day before when they arrested my partner, the father of my three-month old son, while he was driving to work,' reads Clara's draft, sent by her attorney, Andrew Lattarulo, to Rolling Stone on Tuesday afternoon. Rolling Stone has not yet independently verified some of the claims. The draft continues: 'He committed no crimes or offenses against anybody. His only mistake was honking at a car that cut him off. The car ended up being an undercover ICE vehicle and they decided to arrest him over this. Later that morning, ICE agents showed up and knocked on my door to return my partner's car and to also tell me to show up on the next day to sign some documents at an immigration building. I left my home the next morning to do so, and took my 17-year-old sister along. This is when ICE stopped my car and said I was under arrest, but since I was with my baby somebody else needed to be there to take him. So I called my mother to come over and take my son for me, and then the immigration agents wanted to arrest her as well. By now the neighborhood started to take notice of the situation and were filming it with their phones … I am currently staying with friends, as I am too afraid to return home. I am unable to retrieve any of mine and my baby's things and I am unable to work because of my current predicament.' In justifying Ferreira de Oliveira's arrest, the Trump administration has attempted to portray the detained grandmother as a 'violent criminal illegal alien,' with the Department of Homeland Security saying she was previously 'arrested by local police for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon' on a 'pregnant victim.' However, according to NBC's Boston affiliate, 'her daughter, Augusta Clara, said it was merely a domestic dispute with her 17-year-old sister.' Public records show that the alleged dangerous weapon was a phone-charger cable. Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell Rolling Stone that her daughters and her family want the mother brought home. ICE wasn't the only law enforcement agency on the scene. The Worcester Police Department responded to the site of the arrest on Thursday, citing a group of about two dozen people trying to prevent ICE from conducting the arrest. 'The crowd was unruly, and several people were putting their hands on federal agents and Worcester officers in an attempt to keep the vehicle and the arrestee from leaving,' the police said. 'Worcester officers attempted to deescalate the situation and keep everyone safe.' Video obtained by Telemundo shows multiple Worcester police officers pushing a woman and slamming Ferreira de Oliveira's teenage daughter into the ground. Worcester police arrested the teenage girl, alleging that she had had a newborn baby in her arms before passing it off to someone else, and then appeared as if she was going to run in front of a moving vehicle. Worcester police also arrested a 38-year-old school board candidate named Ashley Springs, alleging she 'pushed multiple officers' and 'threw an unknown liquid substance on them.' 'Unfortunately, two individuals were arrested after several attempts by WPD officers to deescalate the chaotic situation, which included the endangerment of an infant,' Worcester City Manager Eric Batista said in a statement. Massachusetts state law prohibits local law enforcement from assisting ICE. Andrew Lattarulo, the lawyer representing Clara, tells Rolling Stone that the Massachusetts attorney general's office told him on Monday that it is looking into what happened, including regarding the conduct of the local police. 'On Monday, the deputy director of the police accountability unit in the civil rights division in the Massachusetts attorney general's office called my office saying she was looking into the incident that happened in Worcester, Massachusetts, regarding my client,' Lattarulo says. 'She said she was wondering if we could assist her and if my client would talk to her. We followed up via email, and we are in the process of setting up a time to meet or talk further.' Lattarulo, who works in the Boston area, says that he also told the deputy director that he has information to provide to the attorney general's team regarding how 'local law enforcement and state police [are] violating state law by assisting ICE, and holding people until ICE gets them. … In Massachusetts, it's illegal for these police departments to assist ICE, and since they're continuously doing it, someone needs to look back and investigate them.' The lawyer adds that the state attorney general's office indicated to him that 'they want to look into that, as well,' and that they plan to discuss that matter more at a later date with him. Spokespeople for DHS, the Massachusetts attorney general's office, and the Worcester Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. The Worcester community has been protesting the incident since last Thursday, including through a 'Hands Off Worcester Mothers' demonstration on Sunday. The group Worcester Indivisible planned another protest at City Hall on Tuesday, which appears to have caused City Hall to close its doors and hold city business virtually. City spokesperson Tom Matthews said the closure came over 'public safety concerns, out of an abundance of caution.' The Boston Globe reported that multiple city council members received bomb threats in the wake of the incident. Meanwhile, Ferreira de Oliveira's family and their allies and friends are still searching for answers about what happened that day. Her daughters, sources say, have been repeatedly asking: 'Where is my mom?' More from Rolling Stone Even MAGA Republicans Are Torching Trump for Accepting Jet From Qatar What's at Stake as Trump's Assault on Birthright Citizenship Heads to the Supreme Court Jon Stewart Criticizes Trump for Taking Free Jet: 'He's Like the Reverse Oprah' Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Worcester City Hall closed due to ‘safety concerns' after protest
Worcester City Hall is closing to the public this afternoon and holding its meetings virtually over safety concerns. Another protest is planned on Tuesday night as the city is facing national scrutiny for an ICE operation that unfolded last week. Video Boston 25 obtained shows a Brazilian woman named Ferreira de Oliveira being detained on Eureka Street last Thursday. Her 16-year-old daughter and a woman running for the school committee were also arrested for trying to stop the agents. ICE says de Oliveira entered the country illegally and was arrested in February for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman. ICE and the Worcester Police union are also calling out City Councilor Etel Haxhaij. They say she tried to obstruct the operation, and the union is calling for an investigation into her actions.. When asked how the District Attorney's office is moving forward after the incident, and whether he believes officers responded appropriately, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said he could not speak for the police department. 'I can't speak for the department, I know you have a great chief and he always looks at things after the fact, what do we do well, what could we do better,' Early said. 'You know that's just part of life, and they've been a great partner with us.' Boston 25 has reached out to the police union and the councilor's office for additional comment and are waiting to hear back. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chaos erupts as crowd swarms ICE agents detaining woman in Massachusetts
Two people were arrested and a family ripped asunder in Worcester, Massachusetts, when a crowd swarmed federal immigration agents as they snatched a woman ahead of Mother's Day. One of those arrested was the woman's 16-year-old daughter, who was charged with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after she tried to block the vehicle her mother was in, while cradling her baby niece in her arms. Also arrested was Worcester School Committee candidate Ashley Spring, 38, who allegedly threw an unknown liquid at an officer, among other offenses. Both were later released, the Boston Herald reported. About a thousand people gathered at the city green on Sunday to protest the arrest and the manner in which it was carried out. More rallies are set for Tuesday, WCVB-TV reported. The chaos erupted Thursday when more than two dozen people surrounded agents as they apprehended the woman, whom ICE later identified as 'violent criminal illegal alien Ferreira de Oliveira.' Worcester police said officers were there to deescalate the situation, but bystanders said they couldn't tell whether cops were protecting the public or the agents. 'We saw both federal and Worcester officers descend on a family with a level of aggression that you would use when apprehending someone who is known to be dangerous and carrying weapons,' Fred Taylor of the Worcester NAACP told WBZ-TV, while another said that the agents, some masked, refused to produce a warrant. The mom being detained was 'truly screaming,' witness Dali RaRocha told WBZ. 'Those are the screams I have truly engrained in my ears right now.' ICE claimed de Oliveira had been 'arrested by local police for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a pregnant victim' and blamed 'the previous administration's open border policies' for her August 2022 entry into the U.S. Journalists at scoured public records but could not find court filings to support ICE's claim. Both ICE and the local police union called out City of Worcester district council member Etel Haxhiaj, claiming she had incited the crowd. Haxhiaj was seen chastising officers for their treatment of the teen and initially putting herself between the agents and the woman being taken away. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty directed the city manager and police chief to draft a policy spelling out how city officials should interact with ICE, reported. 'As someone who prides themselves on leading a welcoming city, I am devastated to hear about the separation of a family, especially with Mother's Day around the corner,' Petty told WBZ after the incident. "The fear of ICE tearing a family apart is the worst nightmare of so many in our city.' _____
