The ACLU of Wisconsin and the ACLU released the following statement today after the FBI arrested Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly instructing an immigrant, who appeared in court on April 18, to walk into a public area when ICE agents showed up to her courtroom looking to apprehend him.
“We want to allow due process to be carried out, with all facts available to the public. However, it is readily apparent that ICE arrests in courthouses gravely impact the willingness of immigrant communities to come forward as victims or witnesses of crime, and seek out help or due process they have a right to.
Judges have a duty to maintain order in their courtrooms and ensure the fair administration of justice, and federal law does not require state judges to act as agents of federal immigration enforcement.
In recent weeks, the administration has attacked the integrity of our judicial system on both sides of the bench – attacking judges for their rulings and lawyers for their past advocacy. These unprecedented actions seriously undermine faith in our legal system and threaten the freedom and safety of judges who make decisions the administration doesn’t like.”
