Judge Holds ICE Agent In Contempt For Detaining Illegal Migrant During Trial

In that Boston courtroom, Judge Mark Summerville drew a hard line: the Constitution comes before immigration raids. By holding ICE agent Brian Sullivan in contempt and tossing the criminal case against Wilson Martell-Lebron, he sent a chilling message to federal authorities—disrupt a defendant’s right to stand trial, and you may lose the entire case. Defense lawyers called the arrest “reprehensible,” blasting agents for seizing Martell-Lebron without identifying themselves and spiriting him away in a pickup as his trial had barely begun.

Behind the legal fireworks lies a deeper clash. Boston’s sanctuary policies, Trump-era courthouse arrest tactics, and a mayor promising a “welcoming” city have collided in one explosive moment. Martell-Lebron now sits in immigration detention, his criminal charge gone but his future uncertain. The contempt finding forces prosecutors, police, and ICE to reckon with a stark choice: pursue deportation at any cost—or respect the courtroom as sacred ground.