Report: ICE used Brazilian woman's family as ‘bait' in chaotic Worcester arrest
Prior to arresting a Brazilian woman on the streets of Worcester last week, federal immigration agents used her family members as 'bait' to draw her out of her home so that they could arrest her, according to an exclusive report from Rolling Stone Magazine.
On the morning of May 8, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 40-year-old Rosane Ferreira-De Oliveira on Eureka Street, leading to a chaotic and tense confrontation between immigration agents and a crowd of more than 25 people.
Anonymous sources described as 'three people with direct knowledge of the matter and another source familiar with the situation' are now claiming to Rolling Stone that ICE agents stopped Ferreira-De Oliveira's daughters and infant granddaughter as they tried to leave their home that morning as a tactic to get Ferreira-De Oliveira to leave her home, as they could not arrest her there.
The immigrant officers threatened to arrest Ferreira-De Oliveira's 21-year-old daughter Augusta Clara, who was carrying her 3-month-old baby, the magazine reported. They insisted that Ferreira-De Oliveira come to meet her daughters, as her second daughter at the scene was 17, and they were not allowed to leave a baby in the hands of a minor.
But as soon as Ferreira-De Oliveira arrived at the scene, ICE agents shifted their focus to arresting her, Rolling Stone reported. They were no longer interested in Clara or her sister, and never produced the arrest warrant they claimed they had for Clara.
Clara's lawyer, Andrew Georges Lattarulo, could not be reached by phone Tuesday evening.
ICE detained Ferreira-De Oliveira in connection with a domestic violence case she was charged in in February. She is accused of using a phone charger cable to hit a pregnant family member and faces one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a pregnant victim.
On Tuesday, Judge Zachary Hillman scheduled Ferreira-De Oliveira's trial date for July 18. She is being held at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, R.I., at this time.
Ferreira-De Oliveira's 17-year-old daughter was also arrested following the confrontation with ICE on May 8 — but not by immigration officers. Worcester police say they arrested her after she stood in front of the vehicle her mother was being taken away in while holding Clara's baby.
Witnesses claim officers pushed the teen to the ground while taking her into custody. The move has led to blowback from many including District 4 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who has since been accused by police unions of assaulting Worcester officers during the incident.
Worcester police also arrested School Committee candidate Ashley Spring after she tried to interfere with the arrest of Ferreira-De Oliveira's daughter, according to the police department. Both Spring and the daughter were charged and later released.
The incident has sparked concern and outrage in the Worcester community, including from Mayor Joe Petty, who called it 'deeply disturbing.' He has ordered a review of the incident by city officials, as well as the drafting of a new policy dictating how city officials should interact with ICE.
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USA Today
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