The federal government has started arresting state trial judges who are not cooperating in the federal government’s roundup of alleged undocumented immigrants in state courthouses.
Is this a message from federal agents that no one is above the law or are these actions an assault on the judiciary? That is the question currently being debated by legal scholars.
Recently, Wisconsin state trial judge, Hannah Dugan, was arrested by the FBI for obstruction or impeding federal immigration officers and concealing an individual to prohibit his arrest.
The incident arose out of a situation where undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores Ruiz was appearing before Judge Dugan for assault charges when six federal agents showed up to arrest him.
It is alleged that Judge Dugan deterred the federal agents and then provided Ruiz and his attorney a private way to leave her courtroom to avoid the federal agents.
Ruiz was apprehended shortly thereafter.
The next day, Judge Dugan was confronted in the court’s parking lot and arrested by federal agents.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the arrest sends a strong message to other judges who do not help the Trump Administration.
FBI Director, Kash Patel released, on the social platform X, a picture of Judge Dugan in handcuffs saying the “No one is above the law.”
The facts of the case, however, are not as clear-cut as the federal government alleges and Judge Dugan may have several valid defenses to her actions.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended Judge Dugan from her judicial position, while her case is pending.
Hear more on this edition of Next Witness…Please with retired judges Gayle Williams-Byers and Thomas Hodson.