USA – A Massachusetts’ teenage girl arrest by ICE has sparked backlash after a video showing police in the US state of Massachusetts forcing a teenage girl to the ground during a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.
The incident occurred Thursday as ICE agents detained a woman while she, her teenage daughter, another relative, and a newborn baby were attempting to enter a vehicle, according to neighbors who spoke to NBC News.
In footage captured by Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, several police officers in the city of Worcester are seen surrounding the girl, reported to be 16 years old, before one grabs her legs, causing her to fall. During the video, she is heard screaming.
The Worcester Police Department said officers responded to a “chaotic scene” where federal agents were surrounded by a group of around 25 people.
The department claimed that the teen tried to run in front of a moving vehicle carrying the detained woman and kicked it before officers restrained her.
Police said the teen was charged with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Another woman, identified by police as 38-year-old Ashley Spring, was arrested for allegedly pushing officers and throwing an unknown liquid.
Joseph M. Petty, the city’s mayor, said he was “deeply disturbed” by the footage and confirmed his office was not notified by ICE beforehand.
“Simply put, we cannot have this happen in our community,” Petty said in a statement night, adding that he requested a full report from the city manager.
In Massachusetts, state law generally bars local police from assisting ICE with immigration enforcement. ICE, facing criticism for a crackdown ordered by the Trump administration, has not commented on the incident.
