Judge Hannah Dugan’s Trial for Obstructing ICE Pulled from Calendar Amid Dismissal Rumors
The criminal trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, accused of obstructing federal immigration enforcement, has been quietly removed from the court calendar, raising eyebrows across Wisconsin and beyond. The sudden development fuels speculation that the court may be preparing to rule on a motion to dismiss the case altogether—a move critics say would send a dangerous message of tolerance for lawlessness from the bench.
Dugan, a liberal judge appointed to the court in 2016, was indicted earlier this year on charges that she aided an illegal immigrant in avoiding capture by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. The incident reportedly took place in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where Dugan allegedly helped orchestrate the removal of the suspect through a back exit after learning that ICE agents were waiting to apprehend the individual.
Conservatives and law enforcement advocates were initially hopeful that the judge’s trial, originally scheduled to begin this month, would finally bring accountability to a member of the judiciary accused of undermining federal law. However, on June 18, the court record was altered—scrubbing the trial from the public docket. According to reports, no official explanation has been issued by the court, but legal observers suggest that a pending motion to dismiss the charges may be under consideration by the judge now overseeing the case.
The secrecy surrounding the calendar change has prompted renewed criticism from conservative leaders, many of whom see the case as a litmus test for judicial integrity in the face of progressive activism. “This is another case of a left-leaning judge protecting one of their own,” said a retired Wisconsin prosecutor who asked to remain anonymous. “If the law is selectively enforced for ideological reasons, we no longer have a system of justice. We have a system of politics wearing a robe.”
The charges against Judge Dugan stem from an August 2023 incident in which she allegedly tipped off a defense attorney and coordinated the release of an illegal immigrant defendant through a non-standard courthouse exit, circumventing federal agents waiting to make a lawful arrest. Prosecutors argued the judge’s actions amounted to obstruction of justice, undermining ICE’s ability to carry out its mission of enforcing immigration law.
“This isn’t a misunderstanding or a gray area—it’s outright defiance of federal law,” said Chris Farrell, Director of Investigations at Judicial Watch. “It’s not the role of a judge to interfere with federal officers doing their job. If she walks away from this unscathed, what precedent does that set?”
Though Dugan has denied any wrongdoing and claimed her actions were in the interest of courtroom safety and order, critics argue that her behavior represents a broader pattern of progressive resistance to immigration enforcement. The Biden administration has already come under fire for weakening border controls and tying the hands of ICE agents, and this case has become symbolic of how deeply those policies have penetrated local institutions.
Court records indicate that a motion to dismiss the case was filed by Dugan’s legal team earlier this month. Legal experts suggest that if the judge rules in favor of dismissal, the public may never get a full accounting of what occurred in that courtroom. The absence of a trial also means that ICE agents who were present that day may be denied their opportunity to testify publicly about how the incident unfolded.
“This looks like the quiet burial of an inconvenient prosecution,” said Eric Thompson, a Christian political commentator and host of The Eric Thompson Show. “If a conservative judge had done something like this to protect a federal gun rights case, the mainstream media would be calling for disbarment and prison time. But because it’s ICE and an illegal immigrant, the story just fades away.”
Adding to the controversy, local media outlets have largely downplayed or ignored the implications of Dugan’s actions. While national outlets like The Gateway Pundit and Courthouse News have provided detailed coverage, many Wisconsin newsrooms have buried the story or presented it as a partisan attack rather than a serious breach of legal duty.
Faith-based and conservative leaders see the incident as yet another example of moral decay in public institutions. “This is more than a legal issue—it’s a spiritual one,” said Pastor Reuben Clay of Milwaukee’s Redeemer Bible Church. “When a judge uses her authority to shield lawbreakers and reject the rule of law, she’s not just dishonoring the bench—she’s dishonoring God, who ordained government to uphold justice.”
Judge Dugan’s history on the bench has been marked by progressive activism, including leniency in sentencing and support for controversial restorative justice practices. Her allies claim she is being unfairly targeted for political reasons, but critics point out that the facts of the case are not in dispute—only the legal consequences are.
As of now, the public remains in the dark. No new trial date has been set, and no ruling on the dismissal motion has been formally announced. But the absence of a public reckoning has left many wondering if the judicial system has once again opted for silence over accountability.
“This is why Americans are losing faith in our institutions,” said Thompson. “When the judiciary protects its own at the expense of truth, law, and public safety, the people suffer—and the Constitution gets weaker.”
The case remains technically open, but as the days pass with no updates, the likelihood of a public trial appears to diminish. For law-abiding citizens who believe in the equal application of justice, that’s a bitter pill to swallow.