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R.I. Superior Court intern wrongfully detained by ICE outside courthouse

The "egregious" incident underscores concerns about ICE's enforcement practices, Supreme Court Justice Paul Suttell said.

The Licht Judicial Complex in Providence. Edward Fitzpatrick

November 21, 2025

2 minutes to read

A high schooler working as an intern at the Rhode Island Superior Court was wrongfully detained by ICE agents Thursday in a chaotic scene outside the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence.

In a statement, court officials said that a Superior Court judge insisted to ICE agents that the teen was not the person they were looking for. This intervention directly led to the teen’s release after ICE agents verified his information.

Earlier on Thursday, sheriffs inside the complex noticed someone taking photos of the teen. They identified themselves as an ICE agent when approached, and they were told to stop taking photos and abide by courthouse rules, WPRI reported.

Superior Court Judge Joseph McBurney offered to drive the teen back to school, but ICE agents surrounded his car and demanded they exit the vehicle. They reportedly threatened to smash the car’s windows. The head of security operations for the Superior Court reportedly got involved, confronting the ICE agents and telling the teen and McBurney to stay in the vehicle.

Immigration advocates were already gathered outside the judicial complex to speak out against the tactics being used by ICE to enact President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Some noticed the commotion and responded, filming the ICE agents and shouting at them, according to videos shared on social media. Eventually, the teen was led out of the car in handcuffs and briefly detained.

ICE did not return a request for information Friday.

“This egregious incident underscores both the community’s and the Judiciary’s concerns about how ICE is conducting its operations in Rhode Island,” Supreme Court Justice Paul Suttell said in a statement.

Immigrant advocates have been calling for Rhode Island courts to hold virtual hearings in light of ICE agents showing up at courthouses to detain immigrants. Suttell went on to address this topic, indicating that the events outside the courthouse Thursday could lead to more virtual hearings.

“Given this climate, the Judiciary understands the call to implement remote hearings in Providence County, and beyond,” he said. “The need to balance constitutional considerations, the public’s right of access, and the integrity of testimonial and evidentiary processes do not allow for a fully virtual court system. What occurred today, however, reinforces the Judiciary’s need to focus on ways to enhance access to virtual hearings and to educate the public as to how to request such hearings.”

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee also weighed in, calling the incident an “outrageous and indefensible act” that could have seriously impacted the teen’s life. He supported the commitment to increasing access to virtual hearings.

“Rhode Islanders should not have to fear federal agents operating with such reckless disregard for the law and human dignity. This was not a harmless mistake. It was the direct result of callous and chaotic policies by the Trump Administration,” he said. “Moreover, ICE’s failure to exercise even a shred of due diligence is shameful and underscores just how broken and dangerous these federal policies are.”