Worcester activists and community leaders are commending the city for barring federal immigration agents from using municipal property to stage operations.
City Manager Eric Batista on Wednesday announced the update to Worcester’s policy governing interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Batista’s office said that now, agents cannot use public spaces, such as parks, garages and parking lots, to assemble, mobilize or deploy vehicles and personnel to carry out immigration operations.
“Today, with a heightened distress throughout the nation as federal enforcement of immigration laws is increasing in an unchecked manner, we are building upon our policy with new amendments that further protect our residents,” Batista said.
His office later told GBH News that ICE agents have never used municipal property to prep civil immigration operations. The purpose of the new policy is to prevent it from happening.
The restriction is an update to an executive order that Batista released in May 2025 in response to an ICE operation in the city that turned chaotic and led some residents to accuse Worcester police officers of assisting federal agents. That initial order stipulated that Worcester officers will not perform the duties of ICE agents, and that municipal employees will not be involved in civil immigration enforcement.
In response to the recent update, local activist Guillermo Creamer Jr. said it’s unclear whether the city has the authority to prevent federal immigration agents from using municipal property and public space for operations. Still, Creamer, who’s chair of the Worcester Human Rights Commission, called the new order “a step in the right direction.”
“That’s something that shows federal agents that you’re not getting cooperation from us at any level,” Creamer Jr. said. “The city manager and the mayor’s office clearly want to make sure that they’re being proactive about things.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration operations, called Worcester’s ban “legally illiterate.” The agency said agents are risking their lives to “make Massachusetts safe again.”
“If we work together, we can make America safe again. Elected officials who refuse to cooperate with DHS law enforcement are wasting law enforcement time, energy, and resources, while putting their own constituents in danger,” the spokesperson said.
The update to Worcester’s policy follows an executive order by Gov. Maura Healey which similarly prohibits federal immigration officials from using state property to stage immigration actions.
Worcester’s population is nearly a quarter foreign-born, according to U.S. Census data, and the city has experienced several immigration operations that have rattled the community. The May 2025 ICE operation on Eureka Street was captured on video and shared widely on social media. It culminated in local police pressing charges against a then-city councilor for her behavior during the incident.
Since then, Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King has been outspoken about the need for Worcester leaders to make clear that the city will not assist ICE. Last fall, he proposed a resolution that passed unanimously reaffirming that local police will not work with immigration agents.
In a statement responding to the city manager’s latest order, King said it reinforces Worcester’s commitment to protecting immigrant families and strengthening community trust.
“This moment reflects what is possible when government listens and leads with courage,” King said. “Worcester will continue to stand for fairness, accountability, and the basic dignity of every neighbor, regardless of immigration status.”
