WORCSTER—Local clergy and community groups are celebrating a city council vote they say has “lifted fear” from immigrant families within the city following the prohibition of agreements between Worcester police and federal immigration authorities.
Worcester’s city council took a decisive stand on Sept. 30, formally barring the Worcester police department from entering into a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The vote comes at a critical time with ICE partnerships surging dramatically across the country. “As of Sept. 17, the number of local and state agencies partnering with ICE has skyrocketed from 135 agreements during the Biden administration to over 1000 today. That’s a 641% increase,” noted council Vice Chairman Khrystian King, who introduced the measure. “We need to stay vigilant in the city of Worcester and firm in our stance against policies that put our residents, immigrants and communities of color at risk.”
The decision responds to growing concerns within Worcester’s immigrant community. “In the city right now over the last few weeks,” said King, “it’s been reported from community groups, and I’ve had discussions with folks in Worcester public schools, that families and parents and kids are afraid to come out of their homes.”
King said the need for action is immediate, and the impact of the council’s decision was swift and positive. “Our leadership on this has had a significant impact,” he said. “On some of the social media posts I have, we had people from the clergy talking about how this lifted fear out of families. This is also in alignment with the research bureau’s recent report, the Department of Justice determinations and the Worcester police equity audit in that it points towards greater transparency.”
“This sends a message to the immigrant community that we care about you,” said Mayor Joe Petty. “I spent eight years going into communities, into churches and into immigrant groups, going in and listening and trying to comfort people. I’ll continue to do that.”
The resolution sparked debate among council members. Councilor-at-Large Morris Bergman opposed the item, pointing to its specific focus. “This isn’t about deciding whether ICE is bad or good,” he said. “This is about opposing the pursuit, exploration, or entering into a 287 Taskforce mode agreement.” He argued that the resolution addressed an “imaginary” concern, as the Worcester police department had never filed a letter of intent to enter into a 287(g) program.
City Councilor George Russell, while supporting the measure, acknowledged its symbolic nature. “I voted for it just to be clear with the public that we were not considering it,” said Russell. “The city wasn’t considering it, the chief of police wasn’t considering it, the manager wasn’t considering it, and none of the councilors were.”
Russell’s support stemmed from his confidence in the Worcester Police Department’s existing community-focused approach. “I think the Worcester PD does a good job,” continued Russell “The chief of police and other city councilors and the city manager have made it clear that they’re not going to enforce any immigration issues. They want everyone in the community –whether they’ve been here for generations, or they just came here, or whether they’re documented or not — to feel safe and comfortable reporting things to the police and interacting with the police.”
The resolution formalizes long-standing practices within the Worcester police department, which currently does not participate in civil immigration enforcement or detain individuals solely based on ICE detainers.
However, important distinctions remain in current practice: Worcester police officers may be present during federal enforcement actions to maintain public safety and protect bystanders. Federal immigration officers retain full authority to enforce immigration laws anywhere in the country, including Worcester, and the Worcester police department cannot prohibit federal immigration officers from entering their jurisdiction or require their approval before taking action within the community.
In Massachusetts, the landscape of immigration enforcement remains relatively limited, with the only active 287(g) agreement existing with the Department of Corrections through the jail enforcement model. This agreement allows them to screen individuals in custody to determine their immigration status and potential for detention and deportation.
The resolution’s passage reflects broader national conversations about the role of local law enforcement in federal immigration matters. While some communities have embraced closer cooperation with ICE, others, such as Worcester, have chosen to maintain clear boundaries between local police work and federal immigration enforcement.
“This is something that’s been on the books for a long time, but I don’t think anything changed as a result of this vote,” Russell noted. “I don’t think there was a chance that the city was going to be deputized or take on the role of ICE.” He reiterated the importance of maintaining trust between law enforcement and all community members:
“The chief of police and other city councilors and the city manager have made it clear that they’re not going to enforce any immigration issues,” he said “They want everyone in the community to be safe and feel comfortable reporting things to the police and interacting with the police.”
The resolution places Worcester among cities choosing to limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement, a move supporters say helps rebuild trust in immigrant communities while critics argue its impact is largely symbolic.
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt recently graduated with his MPH from Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
