Boston Municipal Court Judge issues contempt charge against an ICE agent who took an immigrant into custody during a court break.
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- A Boston judge held an ICE agent in contempt after the agent detained a defendant during a trial recess and refused to return him to court.
- Wilson Martell-Lebron was on trial for making false statements on his driver’s license application when plainclothes ICE agents took him into custody.
- Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden called the incident “troubling and extraordinarily reckless” and said it could deter victims and witnesses from cooperating in future cases.
A Boston judge has issued contempt-of-court charges against an ICE agent after he detained a criminal defendant mid-trial and refused to return him to the courtroom.
Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville ordered a contempt charge against ICE agent Brian Sullivan after federal agents took Wilson Martell-Lebron into custody last week during a break in proceedings.
“This action by ICE was troubling and extraordinarily reckless,” Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a press conference Tuesday. “When we became aware of what ICE had done, we did everything in our power to have Mr. Martell-Lebron returned to court to stand trial. Unfortunately that attempt … was unsuccessful.”
Martell-Lebron was on trial for making false statements on his driver’s license application, and witnesses described how plainclothes agents surrounded Martell-Lebron and whisked him away in an unmarked truck. Because ICE refused to return the defendant to court, Summerville dismissed the charges against him before issuing the contempt charge against Sullivan.
Hayden said Martell-Lebron is from the Dominican Republic, and has been accused by ICE of living without permission in the United States. Hayden said ICE’s actions set a dangerous precedent by scaring victims and witnesses from coming forward in other cases. He said it’s the first time he’s ever seen ICE target a defendant mid-trial.
President Donald Trump campaigned on tough new immigration policies, and ICE agents nationwide have been conducting high-profile detention operations, which the president said are primarily targeted at violent criminals and gang members.
As part of Trump’s new approach, he rescinded a Biden-era policy that had generally blocked ICE agents from detaining people at schools, churches, health care facilities and local courthouses. Trump has also repeatedly criticized Boston for not doing more to help his administration detain and deport people living illegally in the United States.
Hayden’s office said the judge ordered them to consider how to proceed with the contempt charges against Sullivan, the ICE agent.
Martell-Lebron’s location is unclear; he does not appear in the ICE detainee locator system.
The ICE Enforcement and Removal office in Boston did not respond to a request for comment.
