Councilor Moe Bergman: “Narrative of WPD Cooperating with ICE Is Inaccurate and Dangerous”

Worcester Councilor Moe Bergman says WPD did not assist ICE on Eureka St. and urges clarity on police limitations ahead of body cam footage release.

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

(Photo-Adobe Stock)

WORCESTER, Mass.- Worcester City Councilor Moe Bergman joined the Talk of the Commonwealth on Friday morning and gave us his perspective on the WPD response to the ICE arrest on Eureka St. Bergman was clear that he feels the narrative of the Worcester Police Department cooperating with ICE to remove an undocumented individual is inaccurate. “The narrative, I believe that Worcester Police Department’s cooperating with ICE to remove somebody that’s here undocumented is to me an inaccurate narrative and is creating a lot of very dangerous tension in the city of Worcester.” He said the police were called to the scene by neighbors and others due to an unruly crowd, not to assist with an ICE removal. Bergman discusses the limitations of the Worcester Police Department’s ability to intervene or question the actions of federal ICE agents, as they do not have the jurisdiction or authority to do so. He feels ICE agents did have badges on Eureka St. and that legally, he doesn’t believe anybody, including WPD, can challenge their identity. Bergman was clear that they need badges. Bergman thinks the city council and the public need a better understanding of the limitations of the Worcester Police Department’s role in interactions with ICE, and that the release of the body cam footage will give a more accurate picture of what happened. (Bergman spoke before the footage was released.)

This article was sourced from a transcript of a recent interview conducted by Hank Stolz on the Radio Worcester program Talk of the Commonwealth.