Judge DROPS the Hammer – CASE DISMISSED!
In a shocking twist of judicial drama, ICE agents swooped into a Boston courtroom to arrest an illegal immigrant during his trial, forcing a judge to toss the case and declare the federal agent in contempt of court.
At a Glance
- ICE agents arrested William Martell-Lebron, an illegal immigrant, during his ongoing trial in Boston
- A judge dismissed the case against Martell-Lebron, citing “prosecutorial misconduct” and “obstruction of justice”
- The arrest occurred after Boston refused to cooperate with ICE, forcing federal agents to take matters into their own hands
- The judge found an ICE agent in contempt of court for ignoring orders to return the defendant for his trial
- A prosecutor admitted to knowing about ICE’s plan to detain the defendant, contradicting the DA’s office’s claims of surprise
Boston’s Sanctuary Policies Force ICE to Take Direct Action
The city of Boston’s refusal to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has led to a spectacular showdown in a courtroom that has liberals clutching their pearls over “due process.” When local authorities won’t help enforce federal immigration laws, is anyone really surprised that ICE would eventually take matters into their own hands? In this case, ICE agents detained William Martell-Lebron outside a Boston courtroom after the start of his jury trial for providing false information on a license application – a crime that apparently wasn’t enough for the sanctuary city to care about his illegal status.
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for creating liberal outrage. Martell-Lebron was in the middle of standing trial when ICE decided to enforce immigration law. Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville, clearly upset that federal authorities would dare enforce federal law in his sanctuary city, dismissed the case against Martell-Lebron, citing prosecutorial misconduct. The judge also found an ICE agent in contempt of court after the agent failed to return Martell-Lebron to court as ordered. Apparently, the judge thought his state court authority trumped federal immigration enforcement.
Judge Claims “Obstruction of Justice” When It’s Really About Enforcing the Law
Judge Summerville threw the book at both ICE and prosecutors, declaring the situation “obstruction of justice” and a violation of the defendant’s rights. It’s interesting how quickly concerns about justice emerge when it’s an illegal immigrant, but where’s that same energy for the American citizens who bear the costs of illegal immigration? The judge was furious that Martell-Lebron couldn’t “confront witnesses against him” in a trial about false identification – meanwhile, Americans can’t confront the endless waves of illegal immigrants pouring across our borders.
“This is a disturbing case. This is a case of obstruction of justice. It’s a case of violating a defendant’s right to be present at trial and confront witnesses against him. Couldn’t be more serious.”, says Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville.
When the judge ordered ICE to return Martell-Lebron to court to stand trial, ICE did what any sensible federal agency should do when faced with a state judge trying to interfere with federal immigration enforcement – they ignored the order. Defense attorney Murat Erkan, apparently outraged that immigration laws might actually be enforced, accused the state of planning to deport his client. Well, isn’t that exactly what should happen to someone who’s in the country illegally and then commits additional crimes?
The Left Hand Doesn’t Know What the Right Hand is Doing
The district attorney’s office put on quite a show of feigned ignorance. Assistant District Attorney Cailin Campbell insisted, “Prosecutors from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office had no knowledge that the defendant was going to be arrested that afternoon.” Yet, remarkably, Assistant District Attorney Jack Lucy later admitted to knowing about ICE’s plan to detain Martell-Lebron. This convenient contradiction shows the political theater playing out in our courtrooms when it comes to immigration enforcement.
According to James Borghesani: “We agree with the judge that it’s an egregious move by ICE to do this. We intended to try this defendant at trial.”
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office expressed “dismay and surprise” at ICE’s actions, while Massachusetts State Police stated their troopers followed protocol by neither assisting nor obstructing the federal action. In other words, they stood by and watched as ICE did the job local authorities refused to do. This is the direct result of sanctuary policies – federal agents are forced to take more direct, and sometimes disruptive, actions because local authorities refuse to cooperate in the orderly enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.
Due Process for Illegal Immigrants, But What About American Citizens?
The liberal outcry over this incident centers on concerns about “the impact on the judicial process.” But where’s the concern for the impact of illegal immigration on American communities, taxpayers, and legal immigrants who followed the rules? When a city declares itself a sanctuary for those breaking federal law, they shouldn’t be shocked when federal authorities eventually show up to enforce those laws. If Boston had simply cooperated with ICE in the first place, this courtroom drama could have been avoided entirely.
The real obstruction of justice is happening at the policy level, where sanctuary cities deliberately hamper the enforcement of federal immigration law, forcing ICE to take increasingly direct actions to fulfill their duty. Perhaps if Boston cared as much about the rule of law as they do about protecting illegal immigrants, this controversy would never have happened. In the end, Martell-Lebron is exactly where he should be – in ICE custody, facing deportation for being in the country illegally.
