Boston DA Threatened With Felony Charges After Finding ICE Agent in Contempt
“You may very well disagree with the enforcement of our federal immigration laws, but it is inappropriate to suggest to the public that federal officers can be criminally prosecuted by your office or any other state or local prosecutor’s office for performing their official duties.”
U.S. Attorney of Massachusetts Leah Foley told Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden and a Boston judge to knock it off after threatening to hold an ICE agent in contempt because he arrested an illegal alien during his criminal trial.
Important to note: The ICE agent and troopers did not walk into the courtroom and grab the illegal alien. They arrested him outside of the courthouse.
Foley wrote in a letter to Hayden (emphasis mine):
In light of the removal to federal court, please be advised that your office lacks any authority whatsoever to proceed in the state court with respect to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Brian Sullivan’s March 27, 2025 lawful arrest of Juan Carlos Baez, a/k/a Wilson Martell-Lebron. Your office must cease from entertaining or pursuing any charges against Officer Sullivan or any other federal official relating to the arrest of Baez. As you know, Baez was in this country illegally, had prior arrests for serious drug trafficking offenses, and was arrested pursuant to a valid federal warrant.
In your press conference today, you indicated that your office is considering whether to seek criminal contempt charges against federal officers for arresting Baez—that is, for doing their job. The fact that you disfavor ICE officers doing their jobs is not a basis for criminal charges. In fact, there is no legal basis for such charges. You may very well disagree with the enforcement of our federal immigration laws, but it is inappropriate to suggest to the public that federal officers can be criminally prosecuted by your office or any other state or local prosecutor’s office for performing their official duties. Any attempt or threat to interfere with the lawful actions of federal government agents will not be tolerated. Indeed, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a), it is a felony offense to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with an immigration officer’s efforts to duly execute the immigration laws of the United States.
Foley’s letter to Judge Mark Summerville echoed similar thoughts, reminding him that his court lacks any authority whatsoever to proceed in this matter with respect to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer Brian Sullivan or any other federal official relating to the lawful federal arrest of an illegal alien.”
“While you might disagree with the enforcement of our federal immigration laws, there is simply no legal basis for you to hold federal officers in criminal contempt for carrying out their sworn duties,” wrote Foley. “Any attempt or threat to interfere with the lawful functions of federal government agents will not be tolerated.”
Sullivan and two Massachusetts State Police officers arrested the man during his trial on March 27.
The judge held Sullivan and the troopers in contempt. He also accused them of obstructing justice.
Hayden blasted ICE in a press conference last week:
“This action by ICE was troubling and extraordinarily reckless,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
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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 are doing the exact opposite,” Hayden said. “Let me be clear: ICE’s removal of this defendant represented an unacceptable and unprofessional interference with the defendant’s right to trial.”
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As the judge noted, 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,” Hayden said.
Summerville dismissed the charges against Martell-Lebron or Baez (whatever his real name is) for “allegedly making a false statement and forgery charges related to RMV documents” due to the arrest.
“I find that (ICE agent) Brian Sullivan and other agents of ICE conspired in a premeditated manner to take the defendant into custody,” declared Summerville. “But not just that, to not return him to court for his trial.”
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Lock the bitch up
Lock her up with a few illegals, the result would make a great video.
Lock HER up? The US attorney is the one who called the judge and DA out.
Even so, Ironclaw continues to get “thumbs-up” approvals, proving he (she or it?) is not the only one who cannot read today….
You do realize the US Attorney is the Lady right? She was the one who smacked down the Judge and the DA.
Reading is essential, but only if comprehension follows.
Arrest and prosecute both the DA and the judge forthwith.
Let them prove to the federal courts, all the way to the Circus Court, that they did not intimidate officers for enforcing federal law.
Remember, THE PROCESS IS THE PUNISHMENT. Bankrupt them, if only to show the rest of the Marxists that we mean business.
No mercy.
golf clap.
Wait…..no one do anything… until I’ve made the popcorn. This should be great. A state judge in jail, now that’s entertainment!
Unfortunately, I am limited in how much popcorn I can eat.
A Boston judge in jail, that’s a Very Special Episode!
Getting spicy. Since Boston area DA and Judiciary seem to be unfamiliar with the scope of immigration enforcement powers I propose establishment of multiple flash TCP, locations changing daily, to conduct immigration operations/checkpoints within the 100 mile limit of the US border, which to be very clear, includes the Atlantic Ocean. Of course any coordination with local gov’t is impossible due to ‘Sanctuary policies’ so no advance notice can be provided until the local jurisdictions choose to willingly enter a cooperative agreement with federal immigration authorities.
How about just enforce the Constitution? “You agreed to this as a state. You gave the federal gov’t certain powers. If you want to rescind that agreement, fine. We will cut you loose, take your star off the flag and ALL OF YOUR FEDERAL FUNDING WILL DISAPPEAR. You’ll have to tax your own people. Bye, Felicia.”
Maybe we keep that option in our pocket for later on if less vigorously abrupt methods don’t work?
“You’ll have to tax your own people.”
Massachusetts is already very familiar with this. It’s been called “Taxachusetts” for many decades now, at least by neighboring states.
Less threatening, more doing, please.
They really should arrest & prosecute them now, conviction is cause for removal.
Maybe they should wait to setup more Dem judges?
Right? This falls into the category of the “strongly-worded letter”, which seems to have had little effect when used in the past. More matter, less art, as someone once said.
But the letter is now coming from someone who can actually bring the heat, not from some committee jockey in Congress.
The judge and DA are delusional.
Imagine the insanity of saying a law enforcement officer can be charged for arresting a criminal because they have pending charges and therefore the criminal might miss a hearing. Thousands of criminals miss hearings every day because of another arrest. You know what happens? The hearing is postponed and the new charges are scheduled to go with the old ones if in the same jurisdiction. If not, it gets postponed and the two jurisdictions share. The feds don’t share well and you tend to only get the people they have when the feds are done with them. Kinda sucks for the defendant, but not committing multiple crimes in multiple jurisdictions is also an option.
“Thousands of criminals miss hearings every day because of another arrest. You know what happens?”
I didn’t, but I think you just answered a question I had, which was: what would happen if, say, a bounty hunter did this exact same thing instead of an ICE agent? It seems you are saying that this probably happens somewhat frequently.
Defendants picking up new charges is a constant thing. I’ve tried people that have over ten pending cases at a time, and then they pick up more. It’s crazy.
Bounty hunters is an interesting question. They’re really not a thing in my state so I don’t have much experience with them. But they’re not like Boba Fett in real life. They’re not out looking for murder suspects or something like that. My understanding is that they’re hired by bail bondsmen to find people who skipped out on their bond. Meaning they should have at least a bench warrant for that. If the court is doing its job (debatable), they should know the guy has a warrant and be ready to have a bailiff, deputy, or other officer ready to take him into custody when he shows up to court. I’ve seen that many times. In theory, the defendant shouldn’t be leaving that courtroom by himself because he’s in custody. But if a licensed bounty hunter is complying with local laws and takes someone into custody on a warrant, the defendant should be taken back to jail or arraignment and whatever jurisdiction is holding him should work with the other jurisdiction to share. I don’t see how complying with a court order (a warrant) could be considered obstruction of justice.
I don’t know about Boston, however in my old department the booking process includes a warrant check, which at that level includes a record check, so open cases appear. Outstanding warrants are served and those jurisdictions get in line to pick the guy up. If its in the current arresting jurisdiction pending court dates are put in the persons court schedule. That is usually at the sheriff’s level.
As for “bounty hunters”, yes they are usually retained by bondsmen, and sometimes employees. The chase down people the bondsman posted bond for who skipped. My experience is that when the bond guys caught someone, they called the police who showed up, verified the warrant, and took the guy to the lockup. The bondsman would go to court in the morning (except Sat of Sun) to get his money back. If the “bounty hunters” found a dangerous person they would get the police there first; the police had better medical coverage.
Hayden is such a typical MA democrat, Posturing to get his name out so he can run for higher office,
Sadly, that isn’t just a MA thing, nor is it just a Dem thing. /sigh/
True but in MA there is a pecking order among the democrats and you have to rise in the order to be able to rub for an open seat. You certainly can’t run against a democrat incumbent in most circumstances.
This local vs federal argument reminds me of a case on Maui, where a sheriff’s deputy didn’t like a census taker on his property and arrested him. When the US attorney heard about this, he ordered the census taker released and hauled the deputy before the US District Court judge, who reamed him out.
What’s in the water up there in Boston?
I remember Judge Shelley Joseph letting an individual escape out the backdoor of a Boston Courthouse while stalling the ICE agent who had a warrant for the individual.
Joseph lost her judge ship in 2019, but was reinstated in 2022….
An alternative idea: put states and sanctuary citizen under quarantine and announce loudly and clearly that ICE will take no action against criminal immigrants in those localities. Then wait as criminal immigrants are drawn to those localities to carry out murder and mayhem. Let the voters then wallow in a misery of their own making until they come to their senses.
If you could enforce an internal border I would go along with that. But you can’t, and those criminals would soon end up elsewhere, killing, raping, stealing, etc.
Now, if you included a bounty on any of them outside that state, I might could go with that….
When I wrote the comment, I assumed that once tue perps left sanctuary city/state localities, ICE would pick
them up, but I very much like your idea of a bounty. Thank you.
“This action by ICE was troubling and extraordinarily reckless,”
You keep using words. I don’t think any of those words mean what you think they mean.
As the judge noted, ICE’s actions deprived Mr. Martell LeBron of his right to a fair trial.
And, how exactly did it do that? Did it prejudice the jury? You can always instruct the jury to ignore the ICE arrest since it is on a different matter. (This is a standard procedure – aski Milhouse.) Will it prevent you from trying him because he’ll be sent home? So what? He will be set free, then, and won’t need a trial. And anything he’s tried for in that country isn’t within your jurisdiction, is it?
Summerville dismissed the charges against Martell-Lebron … due to the arrest.
Wait, WHAT? That is obstruction of justice right there! I mean, if he’s deported before you can try him, fine – but even then, dismissing the charges is tantamount to letting him go free (which it seems you were likely to do, anyway). Why not leave the charges in place, to be re-applied if he re-enters the country legally or illegally? Is there a legal requirement NOT to do that? (I don’t think so. An open warrant for his arrest would be a reason to stop him at the border if he tried to get in again.)
If only we had an electorate who carried enough about the law, its equal application, state and national sovereignty, and the Constitution. They could handle these judges and DAs properly. Sure would be nice….
Continue the trial but in El Salvador.
“which it seems you were likely to do, anyway”
Bingo.
I was reading down the comments to see if anyone mentioned this. The judge is obviously a liberal loon.
lefty mayors and governors looking to the be the robert e lee’s of their generation
They’re going to wonder how they ended being the John Browns of their generation instead.
I would expect the Judge and DA to be arrested by the Feds, either FBI or Marshals.
2am raids on their homes, kill their pets, frighten their children, threaten their spouses, lots of weapons pointed every which way.
Excuse me? What? Oh, my bad. I don’t know that only applies to Mar a Lago and all conservatives.
I imagine it must come as a shock to police officers everywhere, that arresting a person who has a court date is considered Contempt of Court. I can just imagine the gangsters in Chicago, out on bail, waving around their court papers like they were a writ of immunity. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Maybe we can get TSA to accept those as proof of travel ID, right next to “Warrants for Arrest of Alien.”
Ty Mary.. what amazes me is that there are people, in the legal profession, who are so stupid.. We civilians can gripe and moan,, things are often confusing.. but they should have known better.
Of course they knew better. But 1.) they’re playing to their supporters (Leftist loony-toons); and 2.) nobody has experienced a backlash like that for decades, they simply weren’t expecting it..
Indict the both of them and force them to answer who ordered them to act. That brainless duo didn’t do this on their own—they acted on someone’s orders. They are low-level operatives on the food chain, especially the glorified justice of the peace.
Thank you for this. It’s one of the best stories I’ve read lately. Does anyone know if Leah Foley wears a cape?
Both Summerville and Hayden are still reeling from their recent MENSA rejection notices. Morons.
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