Harrowing new video footage reveals the moment a mob of angry Massachusetts residents descended on federal immigration agents and attempted to thwart their operation to detain a woman with her family.
Neighbors spotted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intercepting a mother who was with her teen daughter and her newborn baby at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday on Eureka Street in Worcester. The father was detained by ICE on Wednesday, according to the local immigration justice network LUCE.
The arrests come just weeks after ICE’s acting Director Todd Lyons announced the agency had been preparing for a second “surge” in arrests in the Greater Boston area, amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The dramatic video footage, which has since gone viral online, was captured by a witness at the scene and shows the woman clinging to her infant child as ICE agents attempt to arrest her.
A swarm of 25 locals gathered, with one heard demanding to see identification and a warrant and calling to stop the chaos. “We don’t have to show you anything,” an ICE agent reportedly told the crowd.
Immigration officials called upon officers from the Worcester police for backup, with the department describing in a statement how the “unruly” crowd “put their hands on federal agents and Worcester officers.”
The woman, whose neighbors told Boston 25 is of Brazilian descent, gave her baby to her 16-year-old daughter as she was taken into custody.
The teen then tried to stop the ICE vehicle from leaving by standing in front of it, while holding the baby.
After handing the newborn to a neighbor, the daughter kicked the car, police said. The girl managed to initially evade police officers, who are then seen chasing and restraining her on the ground as she screams, according to separate footage captured by NBC Boston.
The news station reported that the girl’s “face was slammed into the ground.” The teen was arrested on four charges, including child endangerment, police said.
Among those arrested was Worcester School Committee candidate Ashley Spring. She’s accused of throwing an “unknown liquid” at officers. Her charges include assault and battery on a police officer.
Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj was one of the residents who, she said, formed a “human ring” around the detainees.
“As an elected official, it is my obligation to stand up for my constituents,” she said in a statement. “The way immigrants in Worcester and across the Commonwealth are being targeted and terrorized by this federal administration for deportation is absolutely unconstitutional.”
“What kind of person takes a mother away from her family?,” another neighbor questioned. “Everyone is fed up! It’s disgusting seeing ICE across the country tearing families apart.”
City Manager Eric Batista wrote in a statement that the events were “disturbing” and “harrowing,” but said that police officers were there to uphold peace and not to assist ICE with detainments.
“My heart goes out to all those impacted by today’s events and the growing tension we all feel due to the national political climate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty called the altercation “devastating.”
“As someone who prides themselves on leading a welcoming city, I am devastated to hear about the separation of a family, especially with Mother’s Day around the corner. The fear of ICE tearing a family apart is the worst nightmare of so many in our city,” the mayor said.
Local government officials said that they had not been told about the ICE operation beforehand.
The Independent has contacted ICE for more information.
Source: independent.co.uk
