ICE Agent Held in Contempt After Arresting Defendant During Boston Trial
Boston, MA — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was found in contempt of court by a Boston judge after arresting a defendant in the middle of an ongoing trial, sparking outrage among legal experts and reigniting the national debate over courthouse immigration arrests.
The arrest took place as Wilson Martell-Lebron, a defendant in a case involving alleged false information on a driver’s license application, exited the courthouse. ICE agent Brian Sullivan detained him just outside the courtroom, halting the legal proceedings before they could properly begin. Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville ruled that the arrest violated Martell-Lebron’s constitutional right to due process.
“This was a clear denial of the defendant’s right to be present at his own trial and face the witnesses against him,” Judge Summerville stated. “There’s nothing more serious in our justice system.”
