Ex-Worcester councilor who protested ICE to appeal assault conviction
A former Worcester city councilor found guilty of assaulting a police officer during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation plans to appeal her conviction.
Etel Haxhiaj, who previously represented District 5 in Worcester, filed an appeal on Feb. 19, according to MassCourts.org.
Haxhiaj was convicted by a jury of committing assault and battery on Worcester officer Shauna McGuirk during the ICE operation, which took place on Eureka Street on May 8, 2025.
Haxhiaj and a crowd of more than 30 people confronted ICE agents as they arrested Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, a 40-year-old mother from Brazil. The scene was chaotic as Ferreira-De Oliveira's adult and teenage daughter screamed as they saw their mother being taken away. The mother was released in October 2025 after being granted asylum .
Worcester police arrived at the scene and tried to move people away from the agents. One officer, Shauna McGuirk, pulled Haxhiaj away from a vehicle that agents placed the mother inside. As she was pulled away, Haxhiaj's hands touched McGuirk, according to footage from a body camera worn by the officer.
The councilor was charged with assault and battery on a police officer and interference with police. On Feb. 11, a jury convicted Haxhiaj on the assault charge but acquitted her on the interference charge.
Haxhiaj was sentenced to six months of probation and 40 hours of community service.
Haxhiaj, who lost re-election in November 2025 against Jose Rivera, has repeatedly defended her actions on Eureka Street, saying she was protecting her constituents and a family.
Several Worcester residents slammed the verdict and the trial, saying it puts people who protest ICE at risk.
"Citizens have been murdered in this country for standing up for what is right and this case set an unfortunate precedent for how those who survive will be treated," Worcester resident Yenni Desroches previously told MassLive.
Rivera, who defeated Haxhiaj in the November 2025 municipal election , told MassLive on Thursday that while Haxhiaj was entitled to her beliefs, those beliefs led to "consequences."
"The trial itself was a direct result of Etel Haxhiaj's decision to take the matter to trial, further demonstrating her commitment to her convictions," Rivera said.
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