Outrage erupts at Worcester Council Meeting over ICE Raid, police conduct

WORCESTER — The Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Worcester City Council meeting was consumed by community outrage over a May 8 incident on Eureka Street, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a raid that ended in a chaotic confrontation. The meeting, held over Zoom after Mayor Joseph Petty cited “threatening and disturbing phone calls” made to city employees, drew an unprecedented turnout of residents demanding transparency and accountability from city officials.

The controversy centers on the detention of a 40-year-old Worcester resident, Rosane Ferreira De Oliveira, by ICE agents during that incident. According to Worcester police, more than two dozen neighbors and activists surrounded the ICE agents, demanding to see a warrant and trying to prevent De Oliveira’s arrest. Worcester police officers responded to the scene to hold back the crowd, and they arrested two people, including De Oliveira’s daughter, who was among those trying to prevent her mother’s arrest. Police also arrested Worcester School Committee candidate Ashley Spring for allegedly throwing liquid (which was later determined to be water) and pushing officers during the struggle. Video footage widely circulated on social media – and described by witnesses at the council meeting – showed a 16-year-old girl (De Oliveira’s daughter) being forced to the ground and handcuffed by Worcester officers.

Speaker after speaker delivered emotional testimony, painting a vivid picture of what they called a “heartbreaking and chaotic” scene on Eureka Street. Carla Moore of Worcester condemned the Worcester Police Department’s involvement in the ICE operation, saying, “What happened on Eureka Street was a crime, and police should have been called – but they should have been called to protect the woman who was being kidnapped.” A caller identified as “Seth D. a Worcester resident” said the incident represented a breach of public trust: “This after the WPD and the city administration promised the public they would not assist in ICE raids. The public deserves answers as the police department has shown a complete disregard for public safety and well-being and an inability to communicate in good faith with the public.” Seth D. said “an already tense situation [was] exacerbated by [the] police presence” adding that officers “tackled a teen who was chasing after her mother and threw her to the ground and handcuffed her.” The City of Worcester recently released body camera footage of the incident.

Speakers repeatedly urged the Council and City Manager to enact stronger protections for Worcester’s immigrant community. Many demanded a clear non-cooperation policy barring WPD from aiding ICE operations, as well as accountability for any officers who used force on May 8. “We will not allow ICE to continue these illegal, immoral, unconstitutional actions,” one caller warned, urging City Manager Eric Batista to deliver truth “not spin” about the incident.

Some framed the moment in historic terms. Katherine Jud of District 5 compared the incident to her own family’s experience fleeing oppression in Ukraine 90 years ago. She recalled how her great-grandmother was detained in occupied Poland and separated from her children during their journey to the U.S. “If you’re going to enable ICE, don’t tell us you won’t,” she said. “If you’re going to usher in a new era of police reform and transparency, try a little harder. Have a backbone and stand for literally anything. Your ancestors are watching and so are we.” Another resident, Daniel DiMasso – a Worcester resident and professor of German at WPI – cautioned that “the men who perpetrated the Holocaust followed the laws. We can’t keep defending terroristic behavior and defending it on the basis that it is legal,” arguing that following unjust laws is no excuse for “terroristic behavior.”

Multiple speakers also tied last week’s events to a broader pattern of policing issues in Worcester. They noted a recent U.S. Department of Justice report that found “egregious abuse of power by the WPD,” including officers exchanging leniency for sexual favors with sex workers. Activists expressed frustration that the Council has yet to formally discuss that report. In fact, an item on the agenda calling for an investigation into systemic racism in the police department (item 10G) has remained tabled for over a year. “Continuing to table it will not make it go away,” one speaker admonished, urging that public hearings be held on WPD misconduct. Several community members warned that if city leaders do not take concrete action – whether on the ICE incident or the DOJ findings – public unrest will only grow. “ICE will be back, and next time there won’t be 20 protesters – there will be 200, and the time after that 2,000,” one caller cautioned the Council, asserting that Worcester could face mass protests unless it changes course.

Not everyone who spoke Tuesday lambasted the police. A few residents defended the WPD’s predicament and argued the officers acted to keep an already-volatile situation from spiraling. “An individual tonight said that Worcester police should not have responded when ICE called, and I shuddered to think what might have happened had they not,” said Walter Bird of Worcester, referring to the tense scene on Eureka Street. Bird noted that some 911 calls did come from people at the site – “including one who was instructed to do so by a city counselor” – and said he agreed police needed to be there adding that “ICE is not required to produce a warrant in a public space. That is not discussible, it’s a fact. That’s the law and I don’t know that I agree with it.” Another caller, Tiffany Williams, voiced support for the officers, emphasizing that “Worcester PD cannot impede [or] obstruct a federal investigation or federal operation” and that their job was “to kind of bring peace back to that neighborhood.” Williams said she understood “the passion of the District 5 city councilor” who joined the protesters, but suggested that officials sometimes need to hold back “because it might incite other things”. District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj was present during the May 8 incident, and has since faced criticism from some law enforcement figures. This week, federal officials reportedly accused Haxhiaj of inciting the crowd and obstructing ICE agents during the arrest. In response, Council Vice-chair Khrystian King issued a public statement defending his colleague: “She stood up against a system that has too often trampled due process and constitutional rights…That’s not grandstanding. That’s moral leadership,” King wrote, urging an investigation into the accusations against Haxhiaj.

Throughout the public comment period – which lasted roughly 90 minutes – speakers on all sides urged city leaders to take substantive steps. The Reverend Dr. Sarai Rivera, a local faith leader and former councilor, made a formal appeal for a “clear, transparent and humane policy” on how Worcester authorities handle ICE activity. “I’m making a direct and urgent appeal to the city administration as well as the city council to develop and implement a policy that prioritizes the safety, dignity and legal rights of every person in our city, regardless of immigration status,” Rivera said. She outlined several proposals on behalf of a coalition of community organizations: requiring Worcester police to clarify publicly when they will (or won’t) cooperate with ICE and whether agents must show warrants; creating special crisis intervention and trauma-response teams for situations involving immigration enforcement; improving officer training on immigrants’ legal rights and de-escalation tactics; and establishing an emergency fund to support families impacted by such incidents. “Our ask as a community is rooted in justice and in the shared responsibility to care for the people of this city and protect residents from unlawful detainment, aggression and trauma,” Rivera said, adding that “the safety of Worcester residents is not just about enforcement – it’s about justice, compassion and lawful governance.”

After hearing the impassioned public testimony, city officials acknowledged the community’s concerns but stopped short of immediate policy changes. Mayor Petty has stated that he is reviewing the events of May 8, telling WBUR that he “is investigating the arrest and the role of Worcester police” in the incident.

Council members respond and city business proceeds

As the meeting turned to official business, councilors addressed several matters that had been temporarily overshadowed by public testimony. They unanimously approved a request for a full accounting of the CSX Neighborhood Improvement Fund (Item 9B), which will detail the current balance of the fund, total contributions received, and how the funds were disbursed over the past year. The request, initiated by a councilor, aims to increase transparency and accountability in the use of funds designated for community development in areas affected by CSX projects.

The Council also adopted a resolution (Item 9C) to “commend and honor” several Department of Public Works and Parks and Department of Transportation and Mobility employees — Justin Halen, Dickey Collins, Paul Snap, and Erin Johnson — for “their saving of a life.” The commendation follows a recent emergency response in which their quick actions helped save a toddler found in a chill box. This recognition passed unanimously by roll call vote.

City Manager Batista then took a moment to recognize National Public Works Week (May 18–28) and the winner of the 2025 Paul Musi “Employee of the Year” award in the Department of Public Works. Batista praised the “unsung heroes” of the DPW who keep the city running, noting they often work 24/7 under challenging conditions. The Council filed those informational communications after the manager’s remarks, and Mayor Petty concurred, thanking the DPW staff for “the great work they do for our community.”