Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a Massachusetts judge and court officer with conspiracy and obstruction of justice, alleging they interfered with U.S. officials' attempts to arrest an undocumented migrant at a 2018 court proceeding.
The charges target Massachusetts District Court Judge Shelley Joseph and Massachusetts Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor, according to court papers filed on Thursday.
Prosecutors said that during an April 2018 court hearing in Newtown involving a person in the United States illegally and facing drug charges, the judge and court officer arranged to release the suspect through the court's back door after telling an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer to wait for him in the lobby.
The charges mark the latest shot in President Donald Trump's crackdown on sanctuary cities and states that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.