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Editor’s Note: This is Rosanna Marinelli’s debut for The Latino Newsletter. Click here for the Spanish version at El Planeta.

WORCESTER — The vision of Massachusetts’ second-largest city is to make it safer, easier to get around, and more welcoming for everyone. In his 2025 State of the City address on Wednesday, which was disrupted by protesters, City Manager Eric Batista described a future where you can bike to work, kids can walk to school, and visitors can explore without worrying.

But after the events on Eureka Street on May 8 were seen all over the world, that vision feels distant to many. As Batista himself put it, “Today, our city stands on the brink of division.”

For many, the viral arrests of a mother, a teenager, and an activist on Eureka Street during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action now embody deeper tensions over immigration, policing, and Worcester’s promise of safety for all residents.

An Ordinary Neighborhood

Eureka Street in Worcester is, on the surface, an ordinary neighborhood, the kind of place where life hums along quietly. But like much of Worcester, it reflects something deeper: a city shaped by immigration and diversity. According to recent data, Hispanic residents make up the second-largest racial or ethnic group in the city, accounting for about 25% of the population.

For residents like El Señor Luis, who moved from Puerto Rico years ago and now trains local youth in boxing, that transformation is something he has experienced firsthand.

“The community has changed a lot since I arrived. Now there are many more Latinos and hardworking people who just want to move forward,” he told The Latino Newsletter.

Lately, he has perceived that after what happened with immigration, people are uneasy. 

Ana, an undocumented woman from Honduras who has lived in Worcester for nine years —her last name is being withheld for privacy— shared how much the city has changed for her.

“I started working just 15 days after arriving. Worcester felt peaceful and full of opportunity. And it was, until now,” she said.

As of today, Ana hasn’t been able to find work, as many employers are hesitant to hire undocumented workers.

“I don’t feel safe anymore. Even my five-year-old gets anxious when someone rings the doorbell,” she said. 

After the Arrests

In response, Batista issued a May 16 order reaffirming that Worcester police and city staff don’t act on immigration status, in line with state law.

“It’s not just a document, it’s a tool to protect lives,” Batista said. The goal, he explained, is to give both employees and the community clarity and confidence. 

Although the city has taken measures to ease tensions —such as releasing body camera footage and recommending the dismissal of charges against the teenager— fear persists for many residents.

“Immigration has always been around, but now it feels more intense,” said Mari González, who runs El Buen Samaritano in Worcester and is constantly helping her immigrant community. “People are too scared to leave their homes. I’ve had to calm down entire families.”

The nonprofit usually serves food to over 300 families a week, many undocumented. Now, fewer than 100 reach out.

“Some would rather go hungry than be seen,” González said. “An empty line doesn’t mean there’s no need. It means people are hiding.”

El Buen Samaritano offers more than just food. González has expanded the organization’s reach by partnering with the Latino Health Insurance Program to provide medical services as well. 

"We are providing residents with blood pressure screenings, vaccinations, health education, health insurance assistance, and a range of other services,” explained Dr. Milagros Abreu, who founded and now leads the Latino Health Insurance Program. 

A Quiet Public Health Crisis?

Doctors and community leaders warn that deportation fears are quietly driving a public health crisis, especially for undocumented families.

“I was hospitalized for two days because of a panic attack. The stress we’re living with, it’s not normal,” Ana said. 

Some avoid hospitals entirely. Others hesitate to schedule appointments, worried their personal information might be shared.

“There are times I’ve felt unsure if even doctors could report me. But I have to go. I have a family history of cancer,” Ana added.

She also knows families who’ve stopped taking their kids to the doctor altogether. 

Health leader Dr. Pablo Hernández, Chief Medical Officer at the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, has been practicing in Worcester for over 20 years. He now sees the fear his patients carry every day, right in his exam room.

He urges families not to let fear keep them away from essential care. Community health centers, he says, are safe places where immigration status is never a barrier.

Dr. Hernández believes the solution starts with rebuilding trust. And it requires understanding that health is about much more than prescriptions and appointments.

“Eighty percent of our health happens outside the doctor’s office,” he said. “It’s about having housing, a job, access to food, and transportation. If any of that feels unstable. if people are afraid, then their health will suffer, too.”

He points to a recent MassHealth study that showed just how powerful preventive care can be. Participants in a state-run nutrition program —offering healthy food as part of care— were significantly less likely to end up in the ER or be hospitalized. 

Batista, the city manager who is of Puerto Rican descent, stresses Worcester’s support for immigrants, despite criticism from some who say he avoids a stronger stance against federal enforcement to protect funding.

“I want the community to know: you have a city that recognizes the pain you’re going through,” he said.

About the Author

Rosanna Marinelli is a multimedia correspondent for The Latino Newsletter and the News Editor at El Planeta. 

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What We’re Reading

Latinos and the Midterms: From Roll Call, “In addition to Texas and New Jersey, Republicans have their sights on a handful of heavily Hispanic congressional districts in California. They range from a race in the San Joaquin Valley that is likely to be among the nation’s most competitive to an under-the-radar contest in a blue district in Southern California that could become a battleground as the election cycle unfolds.”

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