WORCESTER—Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj has been criminally charged in connection with a tense immigration operation last month that drew national attention and reignited debate over police conduct and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Worcester police confirmed to the Worcester Guardian that Haxhiaj is charged with assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police stemming from a May 8 incident in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a woman in a residential neighborhood.
Body camera footage released by Worcester police shows Haxhiaj at the scene, where she can be seen pleading with federal agents and making physical contact with a Worcester officer who was pulling her away from a vehicle.
Videos circulating from the scene showed police holding the 16-year-old daughter of the woman being detained face-down on the pavement — a moment that became a flashpoint in public discussions about the use of force and family separation.
Police reportedly sought three charges against Haxhiaj on May 12, but a clerk-magistrate found probable cause for two of them during a closed-door hearing on June 4, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Haxhiaj has not been arrested. In a statement to NBC10 Boston, Worcester police confirmed that “the charges were filed shortly after the incident,” but did not elaborate further.
In a separate report by WGBH, court records confirm the charges, and police said they responded to the neighborhood after receiving calls about the size and nature of the crowd confronting ICE agents.
“Officers on scene decided not to arrest the councilor to avoid inflaming the crowd during a chaotic situation,” Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said in a statement to the Worcester Guardian. “I support their attempt to deescalate and their subsequent decision to charge her criminally. It is important for the public to know that if someone assaults a police officer or attempts to interfere with an arrest, he or she will be charged and held accountable.”
Body camera footage shared by police shows Haxhiaj repeatedly asking officers to let the woman go and urging ICE agents not to separate the mother from her child. At one point in the video, she yells “Do not touch me!” after making contact with an officer.
The Worcester Police unions, as well as ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, have issued strong condemnations of Haxhiaj’s actions. DHS referred to the detained woman — identified as Ferreira de Oliveira — as a “violent criminal illegal alien,” alleging past arrests for charges including assault on a pregnant woman. A DHS statement also accused Haxhiaj of obstructing law enforcement and inciting chaos for political purposes.
The police union, NEPBA Local 911, doubled down in a statement last month, calling her behavior “reckless interference” and accusing her of setting an example to “violently oppose the police.” The union also criticized Councilor Khrystian King, who had defended Haxhiaj in the aftermath, calling his comments “agenda-driven race-baiting.”
On Wednesday, Haxhiaj posted on her BlueSky account:
“Our community continues to be shocked and devastated by the events on Eureka Street as our country staggers from political upheaval. It is frustrating to now be targeted by this criminal prosecution as well. I am a mother, immigrant and elected leader who attempted, along with other Worcester residents, to protect a traumatized young person, two mothers and an infant. I did the humane thing to do in this situation, nothing more, nothing less.
“My life’s calling has been to help others. I am a former refugee who fled and escaped violence. I, like too many others in our city, have previously lived through the nightly terrors of whisper campaigns, street round-ups and disappeared neighbors, which I experienced when I lived in both Albania and Greece.
“It is frightening that the same type of conduct is now a reality in this country. Protecting the most vulnerable should not lead to being targeted and vilified. And working to improve policing in our city by calling for oversight and accountability should not provoke political grandstanding and attacks. I look forward to responding to these charges in court.”
Haxhiaj, a vocal advocate for police reform and a frequent critic of the department in the wake of a U.S. Department of Justice report on excessive force and misconduct, has not responded to repeated requests for comment from multiple outlets, including the Worcester Guardian.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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