WORCESTER—The city on Friday afternoon released police body camera footage from a controversial incident on Eureka Street involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Worcester police. The footage, recorded on May 8, has been at the center of heated public debate and political fallout.
Three body-worn camera videos were made public along with audio from emergency dispatch calls. These materials are the first batch in what city officials say will be a rolling release of more than 550 minutes of footage, subject to redactions to protect personal privacy and minors’ identities.
For the audio recording of the call/dispatch, and body camera footage from the cameras of three officers, go here.
The videos reveal an apparent chaotic and emotionally charged confrontation on Eureka Street, beginning with ICE agents detaining a woman as bystanders shout in protest. At one point, a juvenile seen holding an infant becomes a focal point of the crowd’s concern, while Worcester police officers move in to manage the swelling scene.
Tensions escalate as the crowd surrounds the unmarked vehicle, with some protesters attempting to block its path. Officers issue loud commands—“Back up!” and “Let her go!” are heard amid overlapping voices, shouts, and chants from the crowd.
At several points, officers appear to push individuals back, while others urge calm.
A particularly intense exchange unfolds around the moment the juvenile is separated from the infant and taken into custody, with the crowd chanting “Don’t take the mother! Don’t take the mother!” Later footage shows the detained woman being placed in a vehicle amid continued shouting from the crowd.
YWCA Central Massachusetts CEO Deborah Hall told the Worcester Guardian she did not watch the newly released body camera footage, describing the initial viewing as “deeply traumatizing.” She said that repeatedly watching violence against Black and Brown communities should not be a prerequisite for empathy or action. “While the footage may play a role in the legal process,” Hall said, “in the court of moral authority, my mind and my conscience were already made up. We must do better.”
Background: the Eureka Street arrests
The footage stems from a May 8 confrontation on Eureka Street, when ICE agents attempted to detain a woman later identified as Ferreira de Oliveira. According to ICE, de Oliveira entered the U.S. illegally and had prior arrests, including assault charges.
Worcester police say they were dispatched after reports that ICE agents were being encircled by a crowd of about 25 people. The scene quickly escalated, and officers arrested a 16-year-old girl and a local school committee candidate, Ashley Spring, both of whom were charged with multiple offenses.
In the press release, City Manager Eric Batista called the footage of the separation “disturbing to watch” and reiterated that the city does not assist with ICE civil detainments.
“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,” Batista said. “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.”
Police Chief Paul Saucier added, “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.”
Saucier said WPD is now requesting that the court dismiss charges against the juvenile.
Councilor response
District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson issued a statement Friday evening, emphasizing that the WPD “does not — and will not — target individuals based on their immigration status.”
She addressed the concerns of residents shaken by the incident, reaffirming that Worcester is, and will remain, “a welcoming city.” While the city cannot prevent or interfere with federal immigration actions, she said, it does not assist in federal detainments.
“The footage released today confirms this,” she said, adding that Worcester officers did not aid ICE, but instead responded with “professionalism, compassion, and restraint in a complex and challenging situation.”
Mero-Carlson acknowledged the emotional impact of the incident, saying, “I know this moment has caused fear, frustration, and uncertainty for many.” She assured residents, “Please know that I hear you, I see you, and I remain committed to protecting the dignity of every member of our community.”
New executive order and policy shift
Alongside the footage, the city also unveiled a new executive order from Batista, outlining how all municipal employees—not just police—are expected to interact with federal immigration agents. The order explicitly bans city employees from participating in federal immigration enforcement except under narrow conditions related to public or officer safety.
“Municipal resources shall not be used” for federal immigration enforcement, the city said. The new policy also states that employees “shall not inquire about immigration status,” nor shall it “impact the treatment of a resident, victim, suspect, arrestee, 911 caller, or another member of the public.” Read the full executive order here.
The city emphasized that no Worcester officer performs immigration duties under federal programs and that access to non-public spaces or records will be denied without a valid court order. The new municipal policy can be found here.
Public fallout and protests
The incident prompted a wave of public outcry, with three protests held in less than a week. Activists, including members of Worcester Indivisible, accused local police of complicity in ICE operations and demanded the city establish a sanctuary policy and independent civilian oversight of police.
District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who was present at the scene, was accused by ICE and the police union of obstructing the operation—claims she has not responded to publicly (or to requests from the Worcester Guardian), though she has received vocal support from fellow Councilor Khrystian King and others.
On Saturday, the police union doubled down on those accusations in a strongly worded statement from Thomas Duffy, president of NEPBA Local 911. In the statement, the union said the footage “confirms that Worcester’s police officers acted both compassionately and professionally” while facing a “politically organized and hostile crowd.” It accused Haxhiaj of setting an example to “violently oppose the police” and called her behavior “reckless interference.”
The statement also criticized Councilor Khrystian King, calling his immediate post-incident comments “agenda driven race-baiting” and demanding he apologize for framing the incident as an attack on Black and brown residents “without a shred of information or knowledge of the details.”
The union described the treatment of officers at the scene as “dangerous and unacceptable,” and said the department needs to be supported rather than undermined by elected officials. “This must stop,” the statement read, adding that Worcester “deserves better.”
Mayor Joseph Petty and multiple councilors have called for clearer policy guidance on how Worcester should handle future ICE operations. Meanwhile, the NAACP Worcester chapter has called for an independent investigation and a civilian review board with full investigatory power.
Hall echoed those demands, saying, “We reject the cruel tactics of ICE and the politics of fear.” Speaking on behalf of a coalition of Black leaders, Hall said the incident reinforced the urgency of rejecting “racist violence, in any form,” and underscored the need for Worcester to build a city where “every single person no matter their race, immigration status, gender, or background is treated with dignity, respect, and humanity.”
What’s next?
City officials said additional body camera footage will be released “on a rolling basis” as redactions are completed. The next Worcester City Council meeting is expected to include public comment on the new executive order and the events of May 8. Legal outcomes for those arrested at the scene remain pending, except for the juvenile, whose charges WPD has asked to be dropped.
This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
- The Worcester Guardian is an independent nonprofit news organization. Support local journalism by making a DONATION today.
