Worcester Mayor Defends City Hall Closure Amid ICE Controversy

After a controversial ICE arrest sparks protests and viral outrage, Mayor Joe Petty explains why City Hall closed its doors—and what comes next for Worcester.

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

(Photo-Adobe Stock)

WORCESTER, Mass.- Worcester Mayor Joe Petty says a growing number of threats against city officials—including elected leaders, employees, and even their spouses—led to the controversial decision to close City Hall early on Tuesday, just hours before a City Council meeting where residents were expected to speak out about a recent ICE arrest.

“It was a tough decision to make,” Petty said in an interview with Radio Worcester. “But that’s what you have to do sometimes—make unpopular decisions if you’re the mayor of the city.”

The closure, which shifted public participation to Zoom, drew sharp criticism from protesters and some local leaders who accused city government of avoiding accountability. Petty rejected that characterization.

“There was a number of threats coming in. Some elected officials have been threatened. City officials were threatened. City officials’ spouses have been threatened,” he said. “Tensions were high inside City Hall, with people just scared.”

Petty said the city manager made the call to send staff home early and close the building, citing the lack of consistent security presence at City Hall. “We have no security at City Hall. We have a couple police officers who come in sometimes, and tensions were very high.”

The protests were sparked by an ICE operation on Eureka Street on May 8th.

“ICE has divided our city,” Petty said. “They whisk people away without explanation or oversight. We don’t even know if it’s truly ICE half the time—anyone can buy a vest online.”

Petty criticized the way the federal agency conducted the operation. “There’s something called due process here in the Constitution. This lady that was detained by ICE… somebody reported she’s in Central Falls, Rhode Island, right now, and just taken away. Nobody knows where they go for several days.”

He added, “At the end of the day, these are just people. Let’s say they have a record, but the way this is done—wearing masks… I’d like to know, how do we know even it’s ICE on the streets, sometimes?”

However, the mayor carefully distinguished between federal ICE agents and local law enforcement.

“You cannot assist ICE in immigration issues,” he said, citing a state Supreme Judicial Court ruling. “The Worcester Police were called to a scene to restore order, and that’s why they arrived.”

Asked about criticism that WPD officers appeared to side with ICE rather than with protesters, Petty said, “I find that sometimes the Worcester police officers don’t even know what they’re coming into. They arrive at the scene. It’s chaotic. There’s pushing and shoving between community members and the people in uniform there. My understanding is, their job is to come in and really calm things down.”

He acknowledged the optics were troubling: “Now, the optics of a 17-year-old being arrested, I admit, does not look right. But let’s see what the body cams say… and get the whole picture here.”

He reiterated that the incident should be a learning moment for the city. “This is stuff that the community can talk about, though. Have a discussion. Have a community meeting. Maybe what can the police do different in a situation when you have a kid?”

The mayor also responded to criticism from the police union directed at District Councilor Etel Haxhiaj. The union is calling for a state-level ethics investigation, and the councilor was present during the ICE operation and has been accused of escalating the situation for political reasons.

“It would have to be a state one. We have no rules on the council when it comes to that,” Petty said. “Emotions were running high on this.”

The broader issue, Petty warned, is the impact this controversy could have on community trust and public safety. “Now, people who are immigrants—whether they’re documented, undocumented—don’t want to go out and don’t want to talk to the police,” he said. “This has a chilling effect on public safety.”

Asked about proposals to dispatch social workers during ICE actions, especially when children are involved, Petty said the idea had merit. “Maybe dispatched in the sense if there’s young children there… maybe working with the Worcester PD, they could have said something different, and said, ‘We have a child here. Let’s take care of the baby that was in the arms.’ That’s what the Worcester police tried to do.”

The city is planning a full review of the body camera footage before determining next steps. “Let’s get all the facts,” Petty said. “Let’s look at the body cams.”

Despite the tension, the mayor shared optimism over recent state funding for a long-awaited civic project: the restoration of Worcester Memorial Auditorium.

“The $25 million is a big kickstart for the project,” he said. “It could bring a lot to downtown Worcester.”

The next City Council meeting—a budget session—is expected to be held in person.

“Let’s solve this together,” Petty said. “Don’t divide us here. Let’s stay together as a community.”

This article was sourced from a transcript of a recent interview conducted by Hank Stolz on the Radio Worcester program Talk of the Commonwealth. It is provided for the convenience of our website users who prefer to read rather than listen.