The Worcester Police Patrol Officers’ Union is calling for an ethics investigation into City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj following a chaotic incident during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation last Thursday.
The union alleges that Haxhiaj incited a crowd and assaulted both local and federal law enforcement officers attempting to detain Ferreira de Oliveira, an illegal immigrant accused of violent crimes, including assault with a dangerous weapon and assault on a pregnant woman, Boston 25 News reported.
According to reports, approximately 25 individuals gathered in a Worcester neighborhood to protest the arrest and attempted to block the unmarked ICE vehicle. Haxhiaj is accused of participating in the protest and physically confronting officers on the scene.
More from FOX 11:
Immigrant advocates told Boston.com it all started when neighbors saw federal agents interacting with a Brazilian mother who was with her 16-year-old daughter and a newborn baby. Local reports say the family had been targeted by ICE and the father was detained a day earlier.
Neighbors formed a circle around the family to try and prevent ICE from detaining them as others chanted, “Don’t take the mother!” and “They don’t have a warrant!”
When police arrived, federal agents had already handcuffed the mother and placed her in the back of a vehicle. The agents were trying to leave, but the “crowd was unruly” and people were putting their hands on federal agents, police said.
The detained mother’s 16-year-old daughter was holding a newborn baby and standing in front of the ICE vehicle. When officers told her she was endangering the baby, she handed the infant to someone else and then went after the SUV. Police said she kicked the vehicle, and officers believed she was going to try to jump in front of it.
The 16-year-old was arrested for reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Video from NBC Boston shows the teen briefly escape from police, as officers chase her and slam her face on the ground. The infant was not injured, and immigrant advocates say the baby’s mother was not detained.
WATCH:
OBSTRUCTION? Extended version of Worcester City Councilor Haxhiaj holding the hands of “violent criminal illegal alien” around her waist to prevent ICE arrest Thurs from now deleted IG post. The illegal, Ferreira de Oliveira facing charges of A&B on a pregnant woman. #mapoli pic.twitter.com/u78Qe2ZGZf
— JohnFGately (@johnfgately) May 11, 2025
Full statement from the police union:
“On Thursday, May 8, 2025, at approximately 11:15 am, the Worcester Police were dispatched to Eureka Street for a call that came in for federal law enforcement officers needing assistance due to a hostile and uncooperative crowd surrounding them.
Officers arriving on scene continued to call for more officers as the scene continued to escalate rapidly. Police officers respond to a variety of highly emotional calls daily and there is nothing that can be more emotional or difficult to deal with than a call that involves times when families are separated or arrested or taken into custody in front of other family members.
These types of calls for assistance can be extremely dangerous and place officers at a high risk of injury due to the high emotions people feel at the time. Our officers always strive to be as compassionate as we can daily. We as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters understand human emotions and try to be as empathetic as we can while still doing the job we are required to do daily.
Here, all available Worcester police officers were dispatched to Eureka Street to protect the public and ensure the safety of federal and Worcester police officers on scene.
For obvious reasons, officers became concerned for their safety and that of the federal agents based on the actions of the crowd. They tried to deescalate the situation and prevent injury to all present.
Despite those efforts, Worcester police officers and federal agents were threatened, abused and even assaulted on scene. Such conduct cannot be tolerated or condoned.
Because some protesters threatened officers’ safety, police had to make additional arrests. Of particular concern in this case, one of our elected policy makers and someone who has created this difficult task for the police, District 5 City Councilor, Etel Haxhiaj, incited aggression towards the police during the incident.
This councilor participated in the conduct of the unruly crowd and eventually assaulted both Worcester police and federal law enforcement officers on scene. Her behavior also emboldened others to act in this manner.
The conduct of this anti-police activist councilor is deplorable and unacceptable. Regardless of political opinions or views, city officials should never condone the assault of an officer and flat-out disregard to the point of violent opposition, the authority of police to maintain safety and public order.
The Worcester Police Patrolman’s Union Local 911 will not stand silently in the face of such outrageous conduct or allow the safety of our officers to be put at risk by any individual.
Any official, particularly a sitting councilor, who acts in such a manner is, in the opinions of those of us ordered to keep the peace during such hostilities, unfit to serve.
This councilor’s egregious actions were not limited to physical interference, as she attempted to use her official position several times to interfere with the police on scene. This type of conduct is controlled by the state’s ethical laws and our own city charter. Councilor Haxhiaj, in our opinion, broke her oath and these ethical laws, and in doing so put the safety of our officers and our citizens at great risk.
The members of the Worcester Police Patrolman’s Union Local 911 condemn this councilor’s disrespectful and dangerous behavior.
We will take the necessary steps to hold her and anyone who assaults our officers accountable and call upon those state and local policy makers to do the same. We demand that the city conduct an ethics investigation into her conduct.
No doubt, federal authorities will also review the incident and determine whether federal charges may be coming for those involved. No one has the right to act in such a reckless manner towards police officers, and we demand accountability for all criminal and ethically deplorable behavior.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also criticized Haxhiaj’s conduct, stating she “pulled a political stunt and incited chaos by trying to obstruct law enforcement.”
“ICE officers and local police regained control of the situation and ICE arrested Ferreira de Oliveira. The previous administration’s open border policies allowed this criminal to illegally enter our country in August of 2022. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem this criminal is off our streets.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Parents, who are here illegally, can take control of their departure. Through the CBP Home App— the Trump Administration is giving parents illegally in the country a chance to take full control of their departure and self-deport, with the potential ability to return the legal, right way and come back to live the American dream.”
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