‘Unapologetic’ Worcester councilor makes defiant court appearance over ICE confrontation
A Worcester city councilor pleaded not guilty in Worcester District Court Wednesday to charges of interfering with and assaulting a police officer while she was protesting federal immigration agents while they were arresting a mother of three.
District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj was charged with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a police officer and one common law violation for interfering with a police officer.
She entered a not guilty plea and was released on her own personal recognizance. A motion to dismiss hearing is set for Sept. 15.
Exiting the court, Haxhiaj was greeted with cheers by a crowd of her supporters standing outside.
"I am resolute and unapologetic in maintaining my innocence," Haxhiaj told her supporters. "The overwhelming number of Worcester residents and Americans across the country are opposed to armed masked men snatching our people off the streets and neighborhoods, terrifying mothers, children, fathers, families and whole communities."
Haxhiaj's charges stem from her actions when she protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as they were arresting Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira, a 40-year-old Brazilian mother.
Federal immigration officials claim Ferreira-De Oliveira entered the country illegally in August 2022 , which led to ICE taking her into custody.
Her lawyer, however, maintains the mother of three was paroled and allowed into the country by ICE as she pursued asylum.
The arrest took place on Eureka Street the morning of May 8. About 30 people, including Haxhiaj, confronted, protested and yelled at the ICE agents — demanding that they not take Ferreira-De Oliveira.
Body camera footage shows chaotic scene
Footage from body cameras that were worn by Worcester police officers show Haxhiaj walking towards the ICE agents who apprehended Ferreira-De Oliveira.
The councilor can be seen grabbing the 40-year-old's arm and pleading with the agents to not take her. Two of the ICE agents flung Haxhiaj off of Ferreira-De Oliveira.
Footage from Officer Shauna McGuirk's body camera shows Haxhiaj and Ferreira-De Oliveira's daughter, Augusta Clara Moura, standing by a gold SUV. ICE agents had put Ferreira-De Oliveira inside of the vehicle during the arrest.
McGuirk's footage has audio of the agents and McGuirk telling both Haxhiaj and Clara Moura to move away from the SUV.
McGuirk then grabbed Clara Moura's arm, telling her she needed to "come on." Clara Moura looked down at her arm and said, "No, no, no, no."
The officer then let go of her arm and an agent warned Clara Moura and Haxhiaj that they both could be charged.
Haxhiaj responded, "I don't understand," and told McGuirk that she had the right to be there as a district councilor. Eureka Street is part of Worcester's District 5, which Haxhiaj represents.
McGurik then pulled Haxhiaj away from the vehicle by her back, resulting in Haxhiaj's hands pushing against her body.
"Do not touch me!" Haxhiaj yelled as she was pulled away from the SUV.
Just four days after the ICE operation, Worcester police filed a criminal complaint against Haxhiaj.
Bossolt requested a show-cause hearing on three charges against Haxhiaj, according to the application. Bossolt asked that the councilor be charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer and one count of interfering with a police officer.
"Haxhiaj pushed P.O. McGuirk in the chest," the filing reads. "Haxhiaj pulled P.O. McGuirk's arm as she was making an arrest."
On June 4, a criminal complaint charged Haxhiaj with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a police officer and one common law violation for interfering with a police officer, according to police records.
In a post on BlueSky, Haxhiaj responded to the charges by defending her actions.
"I am a mother, an immigrant and elected leader who attempted, along with other Worcester residents, to protect a traumatized young person, two mothers and an infant," Haxhiaj said in response to the charges. "I did the humane thing to do in this situation, nothing more, nothing less."
Two other arrests on Eureka Street
In the midst of the chaos on Eureka Street, Worcester police officers also arrested Ferreira-De Oliveira's teenage daughter, who reportedly kicked the passenger side of the SUV as it drove off, according to a police report.
The officers ran after the daughter, pushing her down to the ground as they arrested her.
Haxhiaj approached Lt. J.L. Bossolt on the sidewalk and criticized the police's use of force in the arrest.
"All you needed to do was to have one of us hold her and contain her," Haxhiaj told Bossolt. "You didn't have to take her. It's use of force that is unnecessary."
The daughter was charged with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to the Worcester Police Department.
In a statement on May 16, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier announced that the Worcester Police Department requested the court dismiss the case against Ferreira-De Oliveira's daughter. It is not known whether the court has dismissed the case.
Police officers also arrested Ashley Spring , at the time a candidate for school committee, after they sprayed water on a police officer.
Spring was charged on May 9 with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon — that being the "unknown liquid" — along with charges of assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and interfering with police officers.
ICE and Worcester police
The arrest on Eureka Street has left some residents in the city enraged over the ICE and the police department's actions.
Protests against ICE and the police department have occurred both inside and outside of Worcester City Hall, with protesters accusing the police department of assisting ICE. The Worcester Police Department maintains, however, that they did not assist ICE and that their task on Eureka Street was to "keep the peace".
"We're there for traffic. We're there to preserve the peace and thats it," Worcester Police Chief Paul Sauicer said during a Human Rights Commission meeting in June. "We had no idea of what the person was even arrested for."
During the meeting, Saucier acknowledged that there needed to be better communication from the police department in situations similar to the Eureka Street arrest. He told the commission that the department is developing a plan to improve communication with the public during ICE operations. While the plan is still in development, Saucier said the plan could include having a member of the public serve as a point of contact during ICE arrests. This person would be given a lanyard and would receive information from a Worcester police officer. The plan would also involve having the first police officer on the scene of an ICE operation be responsible for speaking with and identifying the federal agent in charge, according to Saucier.
"That way, everything isn't just dispersed willy nilly," Saucier said. "We're going to have a point of contact and we're working on the arrangements for that right now."
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