The U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified the woman arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Worcester on Thursday.
Ferreira de Oliveira was arrested by Worcester police on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a pregnant victim, according to a statement from the agency, which was shared with Spectrum News 1 Worcester.
De Oliveira is accused of entering the country illegally in August 2022, which led to ICE taking her into custody, according to the statement.
Read more: Chaotic ICE arrest in Worcester leads to second arrest by local police
“Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem this criminal is off our streets,” the statement reads.
More than 30 people were at the scene located at 31 Eureka St. when several federal agents from various agencies attempted to leave in a car after arresting a woman, police said.
As the car was pulling away, a female minor holding a newborn in her arms stood in front of the vehicle attempting to halt it. Officers told her that she was endangering the baby and that she needed to move.
The girl, who is de Oliveira’s daughter, complied and gave the newborn to someone else, according to police. As the car drove off, she ran after it and kicked the passenger’s side.
Read more: Baby involved in Worcester ICE arrest safe with its mother, minor released from custody
It then appeared as if she was going to run in front of the moving car. Worcester officers ultimately arrested her and charged the girl with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, police said. The infant was not injured during the incident.
The girl was later released from custody, according to Dálida Rocha, executive director of the Worcester Chapter of the social services organization, Neighbor2Neighbor.
The baby is the child of the minor’s sister, who was also present when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took their mother on Eureka Street, District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj told MassLive on Friday.
She was at the scene of the arrests on Thursday and was seen in the videos standing between authorities and the woman targeted for detention. ICE accused Haxhiaji of pulling “a political stunt” and said she had “incited chaos by trying to obstruct law enforcement. ICE officers and local police regained control of the situation and ICE arrested Ferreira de Oliveira.”
After the arrests, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty requested that City Manager Eric Batista and Police Chief Saucier draft a policy for how city officials interact with ICE, adding that the scene on Eureka Street was “chaotic.”
“I am concerned that this arrest will not be the last,” Petty wrote. “And I want to ensure that we have guidelines in place so that we can respond.”
