BOSTON (AP) Prosecutors and public defenders in Massachusetts are suing to block federal authorities from arresting people in and around courthouses for civil immigration violations.
The lawsuit filed Monday, April 29, against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said district attorneys were unable to prosecute certain cases because victims, witnesses, and defendants are too afraid to come to court.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said she has watched “serious criminal cases against individuals accused of violent, heinous crimes grind to a halt” because of arrests by immigration agents.
The lawsuit was filed days after federal prosecutors charged a judge and former court officer with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping a man wanted by immigration authorities escape a courthouse.
An email and a voicemail were left with ICE for comment.
