Batista has been on the hot seat as of late, from his place as the ostensible CEO of the second-largest and fastest-growing major city in New England, whose annual government budget totals nearly $1 billion.
The latest controversy stems from the Worcester Police Department, which faced public protest and criticism for seemingly helping officials from Immigration & Customs Enforcement arrest Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira on May 8. Although WPD officials said they responded to the scene only after the situation became chaotic, videos of the incident show WPD preventing people from intervening with the ICE arrest, including WPD officers pushing a woman and holding Ferreira de Oliveira’s daughter on the ground. Following days of protest, Batista and the City of Worcester decided to close City Hall in advance of the regular May 13 City Council meeting, which was instead held virtually.
When the City of Worcester on May 16 released the body-cam footage from the May 8 incident, Batista announced the signing of an executive order, saying municipal resources should not be used for immigrant enforcement. The order also outlined rules for local response when responding to federal enforcement of immigration laws.
Despite the issues, Batista remains secure in his position. He answers mainly to the Worcester City Council, which in December gave him a new three-year contract requiring the City to pay him $10,000 above the base salary of the next-highest-paid employee.
Brad Kane is editor of the Worcester Business Journal.
