WORCESTER—The city’s largest police union is blasting two elected officials in the wake of body camera footage released Friday, accusing them of fueling division and undermining public safety during a May 8 ICE-related incident on Eureka Street.
In a sharply worded statement issued Saturday, Thomas Duffy, president of NEPBA Local 911, called the protest that erupted during the attempted ICE detainment “politically organized and hostile,” and alleged that District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj engaged in “reckless interference and agitation.”
The union also took aim at Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King, demanding he apologize for remarks he made shortly after the incident. In his initial statement, King described the ICE action as “terror tactics” that threatened public safety and child welfare, and labeled it “an attack on Black and brown people.”
Duffy said King’s comments were made “without a shred of information or knowledge of the details,” and characterized them as “agenda-driven race-baiting.”
“These two elected officials continue to take every opportunity to divide the citizens of our city from its police officers,” Duffy wrote in the union’s statement. “This must stop.”
While neither councilor is named in the newly released body camera footage, Haxhiaj was present during the confrontation and has faced repeated criticism from both ICE and police representatives, who claim she interfered with the operation. Haxhiaj has not yet publicly responded to those accusations.
In contrast, King has not been accused of being physically present at the scene, but his statement — issued before the footage was made public — struck a defiant tone and warned of the broader consequences of federal immigration enforcement in Worcester. He encouraged immigrant families to make preparedness plans and asked the city manager to deliver a full accounting of the city’s role.
“This experience was both visceral and triggering for many, causing trauma in real time for children, families, and individuals alike,” King wrote at the time.
The union’s latest comments come as political tensions continue to escalate following the release of body-worn footage from three responding officers. While the city said it does not assist with ICE civil detainments, officers can be seen in the footage attempting to control a chaotic crowd and separate a juvenile from an infant amid shouts of “Don’t take the mother!”
In the statement, Duffy defended the officers’ response, saying they acted “professionally and with compassion” despite being met with hostility.
“Our job is dangerous enough without our city officials sending the message that it’s okay to assault a police officer,” he wrote. “Fortunately, our officers know that we have the support of the vast majority of Worcester’s citizens.”
The union’s call for King to apologize is the most direct confrontation yet between police leadership and an elected official in the aftermath of the incident.
King and Haxhiaj have not publicly responded to the union’s statement as of Sunday evening; both were contacted for comment and this story will be updated with any responses.
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