U.S. Attorney Warns of Arrests Over Interference with ICE Operations Amid Worcester Incident and Sanctuary Policies

The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts has criticized the interference with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state, describing it as 'disturbing' and warning that arrests may follow for those obstructing federal law enforcement activities. The statement comes in the wake of recent incidents where local and federal officials have clashed over immigration enforcement, including the arrests of illegal aliens such as Kleber Lasso, Senat Dufren, and Lusbel Lopez Feliz, who were previously released due to sanctuary policies.

In Worcester, a particularly chaotic scene unfolded when ICE attempted to detain Ferreira de Oliveira, a Brazilian woman previously arrested by local police on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault on a pregnant victim. The attempt to detain her led to a large crowd gathering, resulting in the arrests of two individuals, including a juvenile daughter of de Oliveira and Ashley Spring, a school committee candidate. The individuals arrested included drug traffickers and violent offenders.

Worcester police have since released body camera footage of the incident, aiming to provide transparency and clarify the events that transpired. The city has also moved to limit cooperation with ICE, with City Manager Eric D. Batista issuing an executive order prohibiting municipal resources from being used for immigration enforcement. This order reflects a broader tension between local sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement efforts. Additionally, Worcester police have requested that charges against the juvenile daughter be dropped.