ICE detains defendant in middle of his own trial
Federal immigration agents arrested an immigrant as he was leaving court on the first day of his trial in Massachusetts on Thursday, with a judge now holding one agent in contempt for disrupting due process.
Plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up at the court in Boston and took Wilson Martell-Lebron without prior notice, according to The Boston Globe.
ICE told Newsweek that Martell-Lebron was, in fact, Juan Carlos Baez, 49, a Dominican national in the U.S. illegally since 2000. He had prior drug trafficking convictions, the agency said.
Newsweek reached out to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and Martell-Lebron's attorney on Monday for comment via email and contact form, respectively.
Why It Matters
Allowing immigrants due process, whether in their removal proceedings or local court cases, has become a focus of debate in recent weeks as the Trump administration seeks to detain and deport as many illegal immigrants as it can. Massachusetts, in particular, has seen local and federal law enforcement spar over the detention of known migrant criminals.
What To Know
Martell-Lebron was on trial over allegations that he provided false information on a license application. He appeared at the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse for the first day of his jury trial on Thursday, and ICE agents showed up as he left the building.
On Friday, Judge Mark Summerville opened an investigation into whether prosecutors had prior knowledge of the agents' plans. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said it had not been aware of the move and that federal agents had "interfered" in their attempt to see him tried for his alleged crimes, The Boston Globe reported.
On Monday, Judge Summerville held ICE agent Brian Sullivan in contempt for allegedly obstructing justice by detaining the Dominican national before he could be given due process. The judge also said that Massachusetts State Troopers knew about the plans, but he did not hold them in contempt.
It's unclear where Martell-Lebron was being held.
ICE reportedly said it wanted to detain Martell-Lebron, as it often places immigration detainers on those it wishes to take custody of. However, this usually happens after proceedings are complete and sentences are served.
The standoff between ICE and Massachusetts law enforcement comes from a 2017 law preventing the latter from assisting federal agents—a so-called sanctuary policy. The rule has meant that some known illegal immigrant criminals have been released into communities without ICE's knowledge despite placing detainers on these individuals.
In recent weeks, ICE has been increasing its enforcement actions in Massachusetts, with hundreds of individuals arrested by federal agents, including Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was also taken by plainclothes officers.
What People Are Saying
An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek: "Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston field office apprehended Juan Carlos Baez (aka Wilson Martell-Lebron), a 49-year-old, illegally present Dominican national with prior drug trafficking convictions, after he departed the Boston Municipal Court March 27, 2025."
In court Monday, Judge Summerville said: "The finding of contempt is a consequence of agent Sullivan's intentional and egregious violations of the defendant's rights."
Suffolk County District Attorney Spokesperson James Borghesani, in a statement to The Boston Globe: "Any claim that we were aware of an attempt to prevent Mr. Martell-Lebron from exercising his right to a trial is false. It was and still is our intention to try Mr. Martell-Lebron and hold him accountable for the crimes alleged in the complaint. Federal authorities should not have detained him and interfered with our efforts to hold him accountable."
What Happens Next
Monday's hearing ended with Suffolk County prosecutors seeking to move the case to the Supreme Judicial Court. ICE has yet to respond to questions over its agent's alleged contempt charge.