A Wisconsin judge is facing potential closure of her courtroom after the arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan on charges of aiding an undocumented Mexican immigrant in evading federal authorities.
In an extraordinary act of defiance Sawyer County Circuit Judge Monica Isham is now refusing to hold court.
Judge Isham, who made history in 2023 by becoming the first Native American and minority circuit judge in Sawyer County, sent a strong message to fellow judges stating, “‘I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County’. This comes as a bold response to the lack of support and guidance following the recent events.
In an email sent to judges statewide, Isham further elaborated, ‘If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will not put myself or my staff who may feel compelled to help me or my community in harm’s way.’
Her message, titled ‘Guidance Requested or I Refuse to Hold Court’, included an explicit warning that she was prepared to raise bail money for defendants herself and blasted the arrest of Dugan as a criminalization of judicial duty.
The arrest, carried out by the FBI on courthouse grounds on Friday, has ignited a political and judicial crisis, pitting federal immigration authorities under the Trump administration against members of the judiciary who claim their independence is under siege.
‘Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County stood on her Oath in the very building she swore to uphold it and she was arrested and charged with felonies for it,’ Isham wrote. ‘Enough is enough.’
The controversy erupted when Judge Dugan, who has served on the Milwaukee County bench for nearly a decade, was arrested on federal felony charges of obstruction of justice and concealing a person from arrest.
Monica Isham, a circuit judge in Wisconsin’s Sawyer County, threatened to stop holding court over the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of escorting an illegal immigrant and his lawyer out of her courtroom through the jury door last week after learning that immigration authorities were seeking his arrest
Prosecutors allege Dugan intentionally escorted 30-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant previously deported in 2013, out of her courtroom through a jury door last week, just moments before federal agents moved in to arrest him
Prosecutors allege Dugan intentionally escorted 30-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant previously deported in 2013, out of her courtroom through a jury door last week, just moments before federal agents moved in to arrest him.
Flores-Ruiz, who reentered the US illegally, was in court on charges of misdemeanor domestic battery after allegedly assaulting multiple people during a fight over loud music.
According to court documents, the violent confrontation included hitting one victim nearly 30 times.
FBI Director Kash Patel accused Dugan of deliberately helping Flores-Ruiz evade custody, stating in a post on X that the judge ‘intentionally misdirected federal agents away from’ the suspect.
The post was briefly deleted before being reposted with Patel adding: ‘No one is above the law.’
The FBI affidavit alleges that Dugan was ‘visibly angry’ upon learning of the agents’ presence at the courthouse, called the situation ‘absurd,’ and led Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through the restricted jury exit – an area not typically accessible to defense attorneys or free defendants.
Judge Dugan was released after a brief federal court appearance on Friday, with her arraignment scheduled for May 15.
If convicted on both counts, she faces up to ten years in prison.
Sawyer County Circuit Judge Monica Isham of Wisconsin is threatening to shut down her courtroom following the shocking arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who stands accused of helping an undocumented Mexican immigrant evade federal agents
‘I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County,’ Isham, who was elected in 2023 as the first Native American and first minority to serve as a circuit judge in Sawyer County, wrote in a blistering email to judges across the state
Dugan’s arrest has sparked fury from Democrats and civil rights advocates while it has been met with cheers from Republican officials and immigration hardliners
The outrage over Dugan’s arrest spilled into the streets as protesters gathered outside the Milwaukee division of the FBI on Saturday
Demonstrators protest in front of the federal courthouse on Saturday where Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan appeared in front of a judge after being arrested by the FBI
FBI Director Kash Patel accused Dugan of deliberately helping Flores-Ruiz evade custody
Wisconsin county judge Hannah Dugan is escorted by officials in handcuffs following her arrest, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
‘Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,’ her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court. ‘It was not made in the interest of public safety.’
Judge Isham’s furious reaction to the arrest reflects what some are calling the most explosive judicial rebellion in Wisconsin’s recent history.
Her email, circulated widely among colleagues, accused federal agents of transforming courtrooms into battlegrounds of fear.
‘I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process, as BOTH of the constitutions we swore to support requires,’ Isham declared.
The reference to ‘concentration camps’ immediately polarized the legal community and political observers, drawing praise from immigration activists and fierce condemnation from conservative lawmakers.
‘If this costs me my job or gets me arrested, then at least I know I did the right thing,’ Isham concluded in her statement.
The outrage over Dugan’s arrest spilled into the streets as protesters gathered outside the Milwaukee division of the FBI on Saturday.
Chants of ‘Immigrants are here to stay!’ and ‘Liberty and justice for all!’ echoed through the crowd as demonstrators accused the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against the judiciary.
Demonstrators protested on Saturday as Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan arrived for work this morning at the Milwaukee County Courthouse
Judge Dugan has been charged in federal court for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest
Chants of ‘Immigrants are here to stay!’ and ‘Liberty and justice for all!’ echoed through the crowd as demonstrators accused the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against the judiciary
The protest took place outside the FBI Milwaukee Division in St. Francis on Saturday
‘The judiciary acts as a check to unchecked executive power. And functioning democracies do not lock up judges,’ declared Democratic state Rep. Ryan Clancy during the protest.
Other local leaders echoed the sentiment. Emilio De Torre, executive director of the Milwaukee Turners civic group, warned that sending federal agents into courthouses risks intimidating not only defendants but everyday citizens seeking justice.
‘Armed FBI and ICE agents in buildings like this will intimidate individuals showing up to court to pay fines, to deal with whatever court proceedings they may have,’ De Torre said.
While Dugan’s arrest has sparked fury from Democrats and civil rights advocates, it has been met with cheers from Republican officials and immigration hardliners.
‘The corruption and determination of these anti-American activist judges to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens is appalling,’ said Republican Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger.
Donald Trump Jr. echoed the sentiment on social media, sharing an image of a handcuffed figure with the caption: ‘From the bench to the backseat. This is what accountability looks like.’
Pam Bondi, the Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney General overseeing the FBI, issued a chilling warning to anyone who might help undocumented migrants evade deportation.
‘We don’t care who you are. If you are harboring a fugitive, we will come after you and we will prosecute you,’ Bondi said in an interview with Fox News. ‘We will find you.’
The Dugan case is being widely compared to a similar prosecution of Massachusetts Judge Shelley Joseph during the Trump administration’s first term – a case that was later dropped under President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.
But this time, the stakes may be even higher. Dugan’s arrest comes amid a broader DOJ directive encouraging prosecutors to pursue charges against any state or local official who obstructs federal immigration enforcement.
The arrest has already widened the chasm between the White House and the judiciary.
Demonstrators protest in front of the federal courthouse where Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan appeared in front of a judge after being arrested by the FBI
Protestors held up various signs to make their displeasure known
Judge Dugan was released after a brief federal court appearance on Friday, with her arraignment scheduled for May 15
If convicted, Judge Dugan faces up to ten years in prison
Democratic Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin called the arrest a ‘gravely serious and drastic move’ that could undermine the separation of powers.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers accused the Trump administration of ‘dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.’
House Democrat Darren Soto didn’t mince words, calling the arrest ‘third-world dictator type of stuff’ and predicting it would fail in court like other controversial enforcement actions by the administration.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin told MSNBC, ‘The Trump administration has spent the past month waging an intense assault on judicial independence.’
Beyond the politics, Judge Isham’s message reveals the emotional toll on those behind the bench.
She described enduring repeated racial slurs and harassment since taking office, including being told in her own courtroom that she had ‘no jurisdiction over white people’ and witnessing a prospective juror proclaim they would never take orders from ‘a brown or black person.’
Her plea to colleagues was clear: ‘I no longer feel protected or respected as a Judge in this administration.’
The next flashpoint in the saga may come on May 9, when Wisconsin’s Judicial District 10, which includes Sawyer County, holds a meeting where Isham has requested formal guidance on how to proceed.
