Boston Judge Charges ICE Officer with Contempt of Court

A Boston judge held an ICE agent in contempt of court after the officer arrested a man in the U.S. illegally during his trial. The judge accused the ICE officer of obstructing justice after dismissing charges against the defendant.

Key Facts:

Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville held ICE Agent Brian Sullivan in contempt of court.
William Martell-Lebron, a Dominican national, was detained during the second day of his trial.
Martell-Lebron faced charges for providing false information on a driver’s license application.
The judge dismissed the charges after the detention and accused Sullivan of violating the defendant’s rights.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden is expected to make a public statement.

The Rest of The Story:

The case centers on William Martell-Lebron, who was in court for allegedly lying on a driver’s license application.

During the second day of the trial, ICE agent Brian Sullivan detained Martell-Lebron inside the courthouse.

The arrest prompted Judge Summerville to drop the charges entirely and hold the ICE agent in contempt.

Summerville stated that the arrest violated the defendant’s right to be present at his trial and confront witnesses.

He went as far as to call the arrest an obstruction of justice.

The judge also criticized local prosecutors, claiming the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office needed to investigate the ICE agent’s actions.

According to court records, the assistant district attorney knew ICE agents were outside but denied knowing their purpose or cooperating with them.

ICE Agent Sullivan did not attend the hearing where he was found in contempt.

Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville tangling with prosecutors over who knew what and when before ICE agents arrested an illegal alien in the middle of a trial on falsifying documents charges #7News pic.twitter.com/OE1xAcCGXJ

— Steve Cooper (@scooperon7) March 31, 2025

Commentary:

This case is yet another example of a judge putting political ideology ahead of public safety and the law.

Martell-Lebron is not a U.S. citizen and is in this country illegally.

He was arrested by federal immigration authorities—a job that falls directly under ICE’s jurisdiction.

Yet instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement, Judge Summerville turned the courtroom into a sanctuary.

The decision to dismiss criminal charges simply because ICE executed a lawful arrest is not about protecting civil rights.

It’s about shielding those in the country unlawfully from any accountability.

The defendant was accused of lying to get a government ID.

That’s a crime.

Instead of letting the legal process continue, the judge shut it down to protect the defendant’s immigration status.

It’s unclear why an assistant district attorney must remain silent about someone’s citizenship status in a courtroom.

That kind of gag order only serves political interests, not justice.

Prosecutors are supposed to present the facts—not hide them to avoid upsetting activist judges.

Also troubling is the judge’s demand that the DA investigate a federal agent.

ICE agents are not beholden to local judges or prosecutors, especially in cities like Boston that have declared themselves sanctuary jurisdictions.

The federal government has a duty to enforce immigration law, whether or not local officials agree.

Martell-Lebron’s arrest should not have stopped the legal process—it should have supported it.

Instead, a federal officer is being punished for doing his job, and a defendant caught lying to the government walks free.

The Bottom Line:

A Boston judge dismissed charges against an illegal immigrant after ICE arrested him during trial, calling the arrest a violation of rights.

The judge held the ICE agent in contempt and ordered an investigation.

This case reflects growing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and activist local courts.

Rather than uphold the law, this judge appears to have used his bench to score political points.