Wisconsin Judge Facing FBI Investigation After Allegedly Helping Undocumented Immigrant Evade Arrest: Report

A Milwaukee Judge may be investigated by the FBI for trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid being arrested as the individual was set to appear in her courtroom.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is being accused of trying to protect an undocumented immigrant from arrest, reported the Journal Sentinel.

Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers brought an arrest warrant for the individual to Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18 in an email he sent to other judges.

"They were asked whether they had a warrant, and the agents presented the warrant as well as their identification," Ashley's email says. "They were asked to go to Chief Judge's office. They complied. ... They presented a warrant, which we copied."

"We have no information to provide at this point," said ICE spokesperson Alethea Smock, who declined to further comment.

Dugan was contacted for comment on various occasions. "Nearly every fact regarding the 'tips' in your email is inaccurate," she said in an April 22 email to the Journal Sentinel.

"As a standard practice, the FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations," the FBI stated.

Ashley's email describes how ICE agents arrived at the courthouse, identified themselves to security and then made their way up to the sixth floor where Dugan's courtroom was located in order to present the warrant.

This is at least the third instance of ICE agents entering courthouses to arrest people. Earlier in March and in April, at least two individuals were arrested within a courthouse.