A Massachusetts district attorney said he was considering criminal charges against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was held in contempt of court for arresting an illegal immigrant in the middle of a criminal trial last month.
The announcement by Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden could further strain relations with the Trump administration, which has accused Massachusetts officials of hindering its mass deportation program targeting criminal illegal immigrants.
"ICE routinely claims that their actions are improving public safety in Boston, and I'm here today to tell you and to say that they're doing the exact opposite," Hayden said during a news conference. "Let me be clear: ICE's removal of this defendant represented an unacceptable and unprofessional interference with the defendant's right to trial."
Hayden's criticism came after ICE agent Brian Sullivan detained Wilson Martell-Lebron, a Dominican citizen, as Martell-Lebron was leaving a Boston court March 27. His trial had just begun with opening statements and the first witnesses.
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"This action by ICE was troubling and extraordinarily reckless," Hayden said. "ICE's actions deprived Mr. Martell-Lebron of his right to a fair trial. It also deprived our office of our intent to hold the defendant accountable for his alleged crime."
On Tuesday, Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville accused Sullivan of violating the rights of Martell-Lebron. Sullivan did not appear in court for the hearing.
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"This is a disturbing case," Summerville said. "It's a case of obstruction of justice. It's a case of violating the defendant's right to be present at trial and confront witnesses against him. Couldn't be more serious."
Martell-Lebron was taken into custody after the second day of his trial on charges he allegedly provided false information on a driver's license application.
Summerville criticized the DA's office and ordered prosecutors to investigate Sullivan. He eventually dismissed the case against Martell-Lebron after ICE failed to hand him over to local authorities, Hayden said.
Hayden and other Boston-area officials have claimed that ICE apprehending criminal illegal immigrants hasn't made the community safer.
However, ICE has touted the arrest of dozens of illegal immigrants charged with raping children and other violent crimes and drug trafficking.
Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.
