The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Judge Hannah Dugan refused to hand over the man who immigration agents showed up to arrest him.
Federal agents have arrested a Wisconsin judge on charges of obstructing immigration agents and growing tensions between President Donald Trump’s administration and the judiciary.
Federal Investigation Director Kash Patel said on Friday that a judge had been arrested on charges allegedly assisting undocumented immigrants in evading federal agents.
In the criminal charges, the U.S. Department of Justice allegedly refused to hand over the man after Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan appeared in her courtroom on April 18 to arrest him, and attempted to avoid arrest by allowing him to leave the ju judge’s door.
“Thankfully, our agents chased the perp [undocumented migrant] On foot, he has been in custody ever since, but the judge’s obstruction has made it more dangerous for the public,” Patel said.
The Justice Department called the effort “absurd” when immigration officers arrived in her court to arrest Flores Lewis.
Dugan appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee and faced charges of obstructing the lawsuit and hiding an individual in order to prevent arrest, records show. She has been released and is scheduled to enter the petition on May 15th. A crowd formed outside the courthouse and chanted, “Free the judge now.”
Dugan left the court through the side door after the hearing and was kicked out in a black SUV without comment.
Advocates of immigration and legal rights say exposing civic spaces such as courts to immigration enforcement activities could increase hesitation for people without legal status to participate in activities such as testifying about crime.
“No one is beyond the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondy wrote on social media.
The Trump administration has been locked in an escalating conflict with federal judges as it issued rulings restricting the active use of presidential rights in immigration and other issues. State courts have played a less important role in the disputes.
After the announcement on social media, Patel deleted the post. He had gone before the lawsuit against Dugan was not sealed in federal court. He later wrote another social media post about the case.
“Coach Patel’s statement shows that the Trump FBI is more concerned about weaponizing federal law enforcement, punishing people without legitimate procedures, and threatening those who oppose those policies rather than seeking justice,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement.
After taking office in January, Trump began a drastic immigration crackdown, and the Justice Department has directed federal prosecutors to pursue criminal cases against local officials that hamper their efforts.
Such resistance was prevalent during Trump’s first 2017-2021 term.
Immigration attorney Leon Fresco told Al Jazeera that arresting a judge in these circumstances is “very rare.”
“This is the second time this has happened,” he said.
“It’s going to be a matter of conflict in the law now. Does the state judge have the point that the ice is blocking the ability of criminal courts to hear? He said.
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