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Two arrested after neighbors try to stop ICE agents from detaining Worcester mother [1]
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Date: 2025-05-08
Local News Two arrested after neighbors try to stop ICE agents from detaining Worcester mother Worcester police arrested a teen girl after her mother was detained by ICE. A candidate for the Worcester School Committee was also arrested. FILE - A Worcester police car in 2020. Rick Cinclair/Worcester Telegram & Gazette via AP, File)
Two people, including a candidate for Worcester School Committee, were arrested after dozens of residents surrounded federal agents who were detaining a mother in Worcester, advocates and officials said.
An immigrant family in Worcester was “targeted” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents this week, according to advocates. The father was detained by ICE on Wednesday, and agents returned to their home Thursday and arrested the mother “without a warrant,” LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts said.
Neighbors saw federal agents interacting with the mother and two children, a teen girl and a 1-year-old, around Eureka Street around 7 a.m. Thursday, according to LUCE. ICE did not respond to a request for comment, but LUCE confirmed that the woman detained is the mother of the 16-year-old girl.
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Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj was one of the residents who formed a “human ring” around the mother and children.
“As an elected official, it is my obligation to stand up for my constituents,” Haxhiaj 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.”
Worcester police said officers responded to the neighborhood around 11:13 a.m. for reports of around 25 people surrounding a federal agent, while another person called to report that ICE agents were refusing to show a warrant to the crowd.
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LUCE said that residents chanted and yelled to stop the agents from detaining members of the family. The group, which runs a hotline to report federal immigration agents in Massachusetts, noted that nearly a quarter of Worcester’s population is foreign-born, according to census data.
“Worcester Police officers responded to preserve the peace and prevent anyone from being injured,” the police’s press release said. Police described the crowd as “unruly,” and said several people “were putting their hands on federal agents and Worcester officers in an attempt to keep the vehicle and the arrestee from leaving.”
Worcester police arrest 16-year-old on multiple charges
As ICE agents attempted to depart with the woman, the teen girl who was holding the infant stood in front of ICE’s vehicle, police said. The girl gave the child to someone else before running after the vehicle and kicking the passenger side. Police said “it appeared that she was going to run in front of the moving vehicle.”
Worcester police arrested the teen girl after her mother was detained and charged her with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
A spokesperson with LUCE said the mother of the 1-year-old child was not detained, and police noted that the infant was not injured.
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In chaotic videos of the incident online, an individual who appears to be the teen girl is screaming as up to five officers detain her. Another individual pushes police officers, who then push her into a front yard before arresting her.
Ashley Spring, 38, was also arrested after she allegedly threw an unknown liquid substance on and pushed multiple officers who were attempting to arrest the 16-year-old. Spring is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (unknown liquid), disorderly conduct, and interfering with a police officer.
Spring is currently campaigning for Worcester School Committee, according to campaign filings.
Batista, Petty react to Worcester arrests: ‘Harrowing’
Worcester City Manager Eric Batista said in a statement that the city “will never” target individuals passed on their immigration status and that city officials including police do not assist with ICE civil detainments “but may not interfere with it.”
“However, it is the municipality and department’s responsibility to uphold the law and protect the peace of our community,” Batista said. “The series of events was no doubt disturbing and the footage of a family being separated is harrowing … 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.”
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Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said he asked Batista for a “full report” on the incident and said the city was not notified by ICE about the detainment.
“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,” Petty said. “Simply put, we cannot have this happen in our community.”
Molly Farrar Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
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[1] Url:
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/05/08/two-arrested-after-neighbors-try-to-stop-ice-agents-from-detaining-worcester-mother/
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