Video footage captured the moment Massachusetts police were seen pinning a teenage girl to the ground while trying to help agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain her and her mother.
The recording showed an ICE agent and a police officer chasing after the teenager, shortly before three other officers surrounded her, and the ICE agent could be seen backing away. The four officers then forced the girl to the ground, one of whom was grabbing her legs.
Police Pin Teenage Girl to the Ground
At the time, two women, one carrying a newborn baby, were trying to help the teenage girl. The latter could be heard screaming throughout the incident as police officers restrained her.
The incident began when the mother-daughter pair, another relative, and a newborn baby were trying to get into a vehicle. Neighbors added that ICE agents then intercepted them. They noted that the teenage girl was only 16 years old, according to NBC News.
It remained unclear what the immigration statuses of the individuals involved in the incident were. Additionally, ICE did not immediately answer questions for comments regarding the detention of the teenage girl and her mother.
Read more: Tennessee Senate Passes Bill Barring Immigrant Children Without Legal Status From Public Schools
The incident comes as state law in Massachusetts generally prevents local police from assisting ICE agents during immigration enforcement operations. In a Thursday statement, the Worcester Police Department defended its officers' actions.
Authorities said that officers were dispatched to the scene after a report of a federal agent being surrounded by a group of about 25 people. Video footage at the scene also showed people yelling at officers, shouting, "You're not supposed to work with ICE!" NBC Boston reported.
Helping ICE Agents in Immigration Enforcement
Law enforcement authorities said that while her mother was inside the vehicle, the teenage girl, who was carrying the newborn at first, stood in front of the car. Police told her she was endangering the child, which forced her to hand the baby to a relative.
Police also allege that the teenage girl ran after the ICE vehicle as it drove away and kicked the passenger's side. They later arrested and charged her with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Worcester City Councilor Eter Haxhiaj spoke about the incident after seeing a "human ring" around the mother and her children. He said that immigrants in Worcester and across the Commonwealth are being "targeted and terrorized" by the federal government, as per Boston.
