Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj has been charged with assault and battery on a police officer and interfering with police during an incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on May 8. According to NBC Boston, Haxhiaj was seen in body camera footage among a crowd trying to stop the detainment of a woman by ICE agents on Eureka Street. She is accused of physically and verbally disrupting the arrest.
CBS News reported that Haxhiaj allegedly ignored police instructions to move away from the vehicle used in the operation and struck an officer in the chest. The criminal complaint also states she pulled an officer’s arm while another person was being taken into custody. Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said that due to concerns about crowd reaction, Haxhiaj was not arrested at the scene but was later charged.
Haxhiaj said she intends to contest the charges and described her actions as an attempt to respond to the situation unfolding on Eureka Street.
Following the incident, the City of Worcester introduced a new policy prohibiting city employees from asking about immigration status or using it to determine how individuals are treated. City Manager Eric Batista stated that the Police Department does not target individuals based on immigration status and reaffirmed the city’s commitment to serving its community.
Haxhiaj is scheduled to be arraigned on July 23. The full body camera footage of the incident has been made public.
