Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested and charged early Friday with two felonies — obstruction and concealing an individual — for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week.
Here’s how lawyers, politicians and local officials are reacting.
More: Here’s what to know about the case of the Milwaukee judge arrested by federal authorities
More: Here’s what to know about the case of the Milwaukee judge arrested by federal authorities
WISCONSIN POLITICIANS
Gov. Tony Evers
“In this country, people who are suspected of criminal wrongdoing are innocent until their guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt and they are found guilty by a jury of their peers—this is the fundamental demand of justice in America.“Unfortunately, we have seen in recent months the president and the Trump Administration repeatedly use dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level, including flat-out disobeying the highest court in the land and threatening to impeach and remove judges who do not rule in their favor.“I have deep respect for the rule of law, our nation’s judiciary, the importance of judges making decisions impartially without fear or favor, and the efforts of law enforcement to hold people accountable if they commit a crime. I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson
The state’s top Republican said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “I would advise everyone to cooperate with federal law enforcement and not endanger them and the public by obstructing their efforts to arrest criminals and illegal aliens.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
“In the United States, we have a system of checks and balances and separations of power for damn good reasons. The President’s administration arresting a sitting judge is a gravely serious and drastic move, and it threatens to breach those very separations of power.
“Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country, and we are a Democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by. By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line. While details of this exact case remain minimal, this action fits into the deeply concerning pattern of this President’s lawless behavior and undermining courts and Congress’s checks on his power.”
Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany
GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is considering a run for governor in 2026, wrote on X: “If you help illegal aliens evade arrest, you will be arrested.”
Tiffany attacked Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for a memo sent earlier this week to state employees that provided instructions on how to interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities who visit state buildings. State employees, Tiffany said, should now “think twice” before following such guidance.
Republican Rep. Tony Wied
Wied, who represents the state’s 8th Congressional District, responded to the news of Dugan’s arrest by saying she should “resign immediately.”
“Not only are activist judges trying to thwart the President’s agenda, now they are actively breaking the law to protect illegal aliens,” Wied said.
State Democratic Rep. Ryan Clancy
“We’ve never seen anything remotely like this before. All she did is what we should all be doing: standing up for folks when they need it.”
State Democratic Rep. Christine Sinicki
Sinicki stood with protestors on the courthouse steps and told reporters she believes Dugan did the right thing. “This is clear intimidation,” Sinicki said. “If they can walk into a courthouse and arrest a sitting judge, then what can happen to the rest of us? People are scared.”
MILWAUKEE POLITICIANS
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley
“Like any individual in this country, I believe she is entitled to due process. We should let the facts come to light and the legal process play out.”
Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Jack Eckblad
“To be clear: by depriving one person of their right to due process, the federal government is asserting it has the authority to deprive anyone and everyone of those same rights. Judge Dugan’s example is a testament to our ability to insist on our rights, and history will see her as a champion of our democracy. Judge Dugan should be released immediately.”
Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland
Rolland called the episode “unprecedented” and “deeply concerning,” and pushed for court proceedings to shift to virtual.
Doing so would eliminate the collision points between ICE and our courthouse, while also saving millions of dollars in costs spent each year on bailiffs and overtime.
“This arrest demonstrates the danger that ICE actions in public spaces create,” Rolland said in a statement. “Do we want to live in a country where the FBI is targeting and arresting our teachers, judges, public servants and our neighbors?
“Her arrest by the FBI is an extreme escalation meant to intimidate and silence millions of Americans who believe in a more sensible, strategic and humane immigration policy. We will not be silenced. We will continue to stand for due process, for the Constitution, and for the long-term best interests of America, our economy and our people — both documented and undocumented.”
Milwaukee Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic
Dimitrijevic and Alderperson JoCasta Zamparripa joined protesers outside the courthouse, saying the judge’s arrest was a signal from the federal government to immigrants in Milwaukee.
“This is not normal, this is not okay,” Ald. Dimitrijevic said, urging local and state leaders to stand with immigrants who are afraid. “Everyone is welcome in the city of Milwaukee at all times.”
MILWAUKEE LAWYERS AND ATTORNEYS
Defense attorney, former federal prosecutor Frank Gimbel
“First and foremost, I know — as a former federal prosecutor and as a defense lawyer for decades – that a person who is a judge, who has a residence who has no problem being found, should not be arrested, if you will, like some common criminal,” Gimbel said. “And I’m shocked and surprised that the US Attorney’s office or the FBI would not have invited her to show up and accept process if they’re going to charge her with a crime.”
He said that typically someone who is “not on the run,” and facing this type of crime would be called and invited to come in to have their fingerprints taken or to schedule a court appearance.
He said law enforcement showing up to arrest her, “very, very outrageous, in my opinion and not professional.”
Attorney and former federal prosecutor Stephen Kravit
Kravit said the federal government’s arrest of Dugan has “purposely” “messed up the entire system.”
“They’ll basically ruin Hannah Dugan’s life and sacrifice her on the altar for the policy that this administration wants to do,” he said. “I think the U.S. attorney’s office should be ashamed that they issued this process.”
Criminal defense attorney Raymond Dall’Osto
Dall’Osto, who has practiced in Milwaukee County courts for many years, described the case against Dugan as a “political prosecution.” Instructing someone to go out of a side door isn’t anything “nefarious,” he said.
At times, Dall’Osto had his clients exit through a side door as well.
“Judge Dugan should never have been arrested or charged in the first place. That’s total B.S. It’s politically motivated. It’s using her as a scapegoat and a target,” he said.
