Judge who helped immigrant evade arrest says ICE agents violated 'longstanding privilege' barring civil arrests at court

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Law & Crime

Feb 5th, 2026, 3:58 pm


ICE agents "violated a longstanding privilege" barring civil arrests from happening in courthouses when they tried to arrest an undocumented immigrant that Hannah Dugan — the former Wisconsin judge who was found guilty last year of impeding agents during a courthouse bust — shielded from arrest, her lawyers say.

"ICE had no lawful right to execute the warrant in a state courthouse against a party with a court appearance that day," Dugan's legal team argues in a Jan. 30 motion for a new trial. "[Dugan's] conviction cannot stand, as a matter of law," the motion charges.

Dugan, 66, was indicted last year for allegedly helping an immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade federal officers shortly after he appeared in her Milwaukee County Circuit courtroom in connection with a domestic abuse case. A federal jury found Dugan guilty in December of one count of obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States, a felony. Jurors found her innocent of one count of concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, a misdemeanor.

Steve Biskupic, one of Dugan's defense attorneys — and a former U.S. Attorney — told WISN in late December that her legal team had planned to ask U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, a Bill Clinton appointee, to set aside Dugan's guilty verdict. Her lawyers filed their motion for a new trial on Friday with claims that recent court cases, including one in November 2025, established a "common-law privilege" that bars civil arrests from happening inside courthouses.

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/had-no-lawful-right-judge-who-helped-immigrant-evade-arrest-says-ice-agents-violated-longstanding-privilege-barring-civil-arrests-at-courthouses-as-she-asks-for-new-trial/

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Full headline: 'Had no lawful right': Judge who helped immigrant evade arrest says ICE agents violated 'longstanding privilege' barring civil arrests at courthouses as she asks for new trial

Link to FILING (PDF viewer) - https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26878094-usa-v-hannah-dugan-ice-obstruction-post-trial-motions/

Link to FILING (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26878094/usa-v-hannah-dugan-ice-obstruction-post-trial-motions.pdf

REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143447288
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143447487
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143447592
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143448065
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143448182
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143448565
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143454058
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143458548
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143459117
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143459576
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143469078
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143475383
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143482234
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143492756
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143584803
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143592145

[Scrivener7]

1. Your post list reads like a book. Thank you for

the work to put that all in one place. It's important.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Have been following her case

knowing that ICE standing outside of courtrooms ready to grab people, often those who were willing witnesses for local crimes, has become a huge issue in many urban areas. More and more cities (including mine - Philly) have their City Councils passing legislation to keep them away from municipal property without a VALID warrant ( "administrative warrants" are not valid).

[Hugin]

3. Yes, and there's a very good reason for not arresting people who show up for...

Court appearances. That’s how Justice is served and jurisdictions are mediated. Without these guarantees all that exists is self-righteous vigilantes and no due process.

I am not sure I would label it “privilege”. It is a requirement for a civil society.

It’s similar to the immunity which is extended to legislators who are on their way to vote on pending legislation.