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“U.S. officials arrested a Wisconsin judge on Friday and charged her with helping a man in her court briefly evade immigration authorities… The U.S. Justice Department said Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, hindered the immigration agents who showed up to arrest the man without a judicial warrant outside her courtroom on April 18, and that she tried to help him evade arrest by allowing him to exit through a jury door. Agents arrested the man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, outside the courthouse after he left with his lawyer.” Reuters
The left is critical of Dugan’s arrest, arguing that ICE should not be arresting people in court.
“The [Milwaukee] Journal Sentinel consulted with five legal experts, including former prosecutors and found, ‘None thought Dugan’s actions constituted a federal crime.’ The paper also noted, ‘All five legal scholars said ICE’s presence in state courthouses could negatively impact public safety by scaring people away from using the courthouse for normal activities.’…
“[A group of Milwaukee legislators] said in a statement issued Friday, ‘The county courthouse is a sanctuary for justice and peace where the accused come forward willingly in a fair and unbiased process. Arresting people out of a courtroom will lead to a breakdown of civil society. We do not support the presence of ICE in places where it will lead to intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes, denying everyone involved the justice they deserve.’”
John Nichols, The Nation
“As a matter of basic federalism, which Republicans and conservatives have long embraced, armed federal agents from ICE, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration shouldn’t be roaming around a state courthouse looking for people who are there for other reasons… Under the Tenth Amendment, the federal government cannot strongarm states to follow its every wish on immigration…
“Victims and witnesses with immigrant backgrounds become fearful and unwilling to come to court when their presence and participation is essential in cases that have nothing to do with criminal law — such as family court, landlord-tenant disputes, or a civil lawsuit accusing an employer of wage theft… Courthouses [should be treated] as ‘sensitive locations,’ just like hospitals, schools, or places of worship.”
Cristian Farias, New York Magazine
“This administration is failing. It’s tanked the economy, sown deep doubt and mistrust with our allies, and displayed its incompetence and malice at every turn… The Associated Press/NORC poll and the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll both have him at just 39 percent, the worst of any president at this point in his term in some 80 years of polling…
“Even on Donald Trump’s signature issue of immigration, he is now underwater. He can’t hold his head above the red, including on the question of how he is handling migrants. In the latest AP poll… he is now seven points net negative with voters on immigration….
“There’s Kilmar Abrego García, who was deported to a torture prison in El Salvador based on acknowledged ‘administrative error.’ Now there’s Judge Hannah Dugan, who has every right to ensure her courtroom doesn’t turn into a circus… His administration’s actions on immigration are not popular, and they are not what most voters want or believe they voted for.”
Jay Kuo, Status Kuo
The right supports Dugan’s arrest, arguing that she appears to have violated federal law.
The right supports Dugan’s arrest, arguing that she appears to have violated federal law.
“As soon as the news of the arrest was reported, Democrats declared another constitutional crisis. [Sen. Amy] Klobuchar added that the arrest ‘is a drastic move threatening the rule of law’ and a ‘grave step and undermines our system of checks and balances.’ That is a curious claim unless Klobuchar believes that the officers are lying. If not, Klobuchar is suggesting that a judge should not be held accountable for actively shielding a wanted person and facilitating their evasion of law enforcement…
“I am perplexed by Democrats rushing to denounce the arrest of Dugan before we know whether [the] allegations are supported. If she escorted the suspect to a non-public door to facilitate his escape, that conduct is a shocking abandonment of judicial ethics. She can certainly use her authority to address matters properly before her in the form of judicial orders, but actively assisting in an escape is well beyond the pale…
“I have often criticized the reckless rhetoric directed against judges, including those who have ruled against the Trump administration… However, that works both ways. Judges have to reinforce respect for the judiciary in their own conduct. That includes showing restraint and respect in relation to the countervailing powers of the Executive Branch. It certainly includes avoiding actions that could be viewed as unethical or even criminal in resisting this administration.”
Jonathan Turley, Fox News
“[Flores-Ruiz] was deported but at some point reentered the U.S. illegally. Now, he is still in the U.S. illegally, and he is also charged with domestic violence — three counts known as battery-domestic abuse-infliction of physical pain or injury. By the way, apart from the current crimes he is accused of, crossing into the U.S. illegally is punishable by up to six months in prison. Doing it again after being deported is punishable by up to two years…
“Will Dugan be called a hero for protecting an already-deported-and-illegally-returned accused domestic abuser from federal authorities? That might be a hard sell. It’s similar to the problem Democrats face in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. With that, Democrats have argued that even if Abrego Garcia is a gang member, which they still deny, the case is really about due process… But people might still ask: Why should a judge of all people obstruct federal agents and the enforcement of immigration law when the facts in the case seem so clear-cut?”
Byron York, Washington Examiner
“As things stand, it sure looks like [Dugan] purposely obstructed the arrest of an illegal alien and facilitated his escape from federal authorities. Being a judge doesn't insulate her from the consequences of breaking the law, and it's long past time some examples were made. I hope the DOJ throws the book at her.”
Bonchie, RedState
The Future as Imagined in the 1950s.
Moss & Fog
