An illegal immigrant was led through a side door in the Milwaukee judge's courtroom by FBI agents on Friday as they A Wisconsin judge who is accused of protecting an immigrant from federal agents was arrested.
According to the F.B.I. director, Judge Hannah Dugan was detained on suspicion of "intentionally misdirecting federal agents away from" an immigrant who was being sought by the police.
Hannah Dugan in 2016. Milwaukee County Judge Ms. Dugan was taken into custody on Friday. Give credit…Imagn Images/Mike De Sisti/USA Today Network
Written by Devlin Barrett
Devlin Barrett covers the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
waited to arrest him in a public corridor. The judge was apprehended on charges of obstructing immigration officials.
The Trump administration's conflict with local authorities over deportations has escalated significantly with the decision to prosecute a sitting state court judge. The arrest sent a message that the government plans to take a tougher stance with individuals who oppose federal attempts to deport millions of illegal immigrants, as the administration has asked that local authorities refrain from doing so under fear of inquiry or punishment.
After months of growing hostilities between the Trump administration and the court, the judge, Hannah Dugan, was arrested. "Local judges" have been criticized by President Trump and his senior advisors on several occasions for stopping or challenging government measures, especially in immigration issues.
Other conflicts with federal courts have resulted from Mr. Trump's efforts to apprehend and deport a significant number of migrants, particularly in relation to his use of the Alien Enemies Act to expel Venezuelans.
Last Friday in Milwaukee, immigration, D.E.A., and F.B.I. agents detained Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican citizen, for domestic abuse charges. Judge Dugan was described as "visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor" throughout the arrest, according to charging records.
A judge allegedly approached the agents and told them to meet with the chief judge at the courtroom, according to the criminal complaint. She went back to her courtroom not long after that.
An F.B.I. agent filed a complaint alleging that Judge Dugan allowed Flores-Ruiz and his counsel to exit the courtroom by the "jury door," a restricted entrance, "despite being informed of the administrative warrant for the arrest of Flores-Ruiz."
According to the lawsuit, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent watched Mr. Flores-Ruiz leave the facility and informed his colleagues. He was accosted by agents outside the courtroom. It is stated in the complaint that "a foot pursuit occurred." Although Flores-Ruiz was eventually apprehended, "the agents pursued him for the entire length of the courthouse."
The judge was accused of hiding a person to avoid his discovery and arrest as well as impeding a federal agency's proceedings.
She was released on her own recognizance and allowed to return to her courtroom after a brief appearance as a defendant in federal court in Milwaukee, which is only a mile away from the judge's own courthouse.
The judge will challenge the claims, according to a statement from her defense team.
Steven Biskupic, an attorney who has previously represented former U.S. officials, has been appointed to represent Judge Dugan. She is "committed to a vigorous defense" and anticipates her exoneration. Throughout her career as a lawyer and judge, Judge Hannah C. Dugan has always shown her dedication to upholding the rule of law and the idea of due process.
On Friday, F.B.I. director Kash Patel announced on social media that the agency had detained Judge Dugan on suspicion of "intentionally misdirecting federal agents" prior to the publication of the charges.
Shortly after her detention, Mr. Patel shared a photo of the judge in handcuffs on social media on Friday night.
In response to the manner in which the FBI conducted the investigation, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley voiced his disagreement.
In a statement, he added, "It is evident that the FBI is politicizing this case to set an example for her and others nationwide who oppose their assault on the legal system and our country's immigration laws."
Tony Evers, the Democratic governor of Wisconsin, also voiced worries about the treatment of judges by the Trump administration. Sadly, in recent months, the president and the Trump administration have frequently used divisive rhetoric to criticize and try to weaken our judiciary at all levels, including outright defying they have threatened to remove and impeach justices who disagree with them from the nation's highest court.
According Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who spoke to Fox News, the judge's arrest was warranted because it is unacceptable to compromise justice by "escorting a criminal defendant out a back door."
Ms. Bondi said, "You will face prosecution regardless of your identity."
Ms. Bondi also spoke about a former New Mexico judge who was arrested recently on obstruction charges for sheltering someone federal investigators said was a member of a Venezuelan gang.
Some judges believe they are above the law. "They're not," she said. "We will pursue you and put charges against you," the statement said. We will find you very quickly.
Democracy in the United States "rests upon the independence of the judiciary," as Christopher A. said. The following statement was issued by Wellborn, the chairperson of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, in response to the judge's imprisonment.
"In response to retaliatory action from the executive branch that appears to undermine this foundation, our unwavering scrutiny and a resounding response are necessary," he stated.
Carl Ashley, the top judge of Milwaukee County, refused to comment more but said in a statement that another jurist in the courtroom will manage Judge Dugan's workload.
The Trump administration has condemned what they refer to as "sanctuary cities" for failing to do more to support federal apprehensions and deportations of millions of illegal immigrants, vowing to look into and punish local leaders who do not support federal immigration enforcement activities.
Although the phrase "sanctuary city" has no exact legal meaning, it often refers to areas where local governments establish restrictions on the amount of assistance they will provide to federal authorities in their deportation attempts. Although disputes over immigration enforcement are often political and policy disputes, there are also notable variations in local and federal legislation that influence the various strategies.
Senior officials at the Justice Department have called on prosecutors to seek out instances where local authorities—whether they be judicial, state, or municipal officials—have attempted to thwart or obstruct immigration officers.
A common point of contention in that discussion is the Milwaukee case, in which immigration officers attempt to detain foreign nationals who are appearing in state court. Such initiatives are often criticized by local officials, who claim they jeopardize public safety if those handling relatively small legal matters believe it is hazardous to visit courthouses.
According to one witness in the criminal documents against Judge Dugan, she had been furious to find out that immigration officials were present at the courtroom and had described it as "absurd."
When the immigration agent first asked the judge whether he was in the courtroom for a hearing, the lawsuit claims that the judge "stated that the agent 'would need to leave the courthouse,'" when the agent replied that he was not.
According to the lawsuit, the agent responded that they did not have a court warrant when Judge Dugan questioned if they did have an administrative one. In order to capture individuals, I.C.E. usually issues administrative warrants.
People usually don't have to let immigration officers inside their houses with only an administrative warrant since these warrants don't have the same power as a judge's warrant.
During the first term of President Trump, a local judge in Massachusetts was charged with federal obstruction while attempting to help immigration officials. The judge consented to report herself to possible judicial censure, and the allegations were withdrawn.
In that instance, it was also alleged that a judge had let a prisoner who was being pursued by I.C.E. agents to escape from custody by using a rear door. Judge Shelley Joseph is being accused of violating the Massachusetts Judicial Conduct Commission's rules and regulations via formal disciplinary actions. She has denied any misconduct.
Reporting was done by Chris Cameron, Julie Bosman, and Glenn Thrush.
For The Times, Devlin Barrett writes on the F.B.I. and the Justice Department.