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FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

apnews.com

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Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#321

Post by fnordpiglet »

pjc50 wrote: post #150
kemayo wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I updated my post with new information from the updated article, and in the context of that I think you're pretty much right. It sounds like the judge basically said "you need permission to arrest someone in the middle of my hearing, go get it" and then didn't change anything about the process of their hearing while that permission was being obtained. This was definitely not them being helpful , but I'm incredibly do…

> incredibly doubtful that they could be successfully prosecuted for this. But they can be successfully arrested. You can beat the rap but not the ride, etc. The US is not yet at the level of dysfunction where jurisdiction is settled with gunfire, but ICE seem to be determined to move that closer.

The fact the FBI participated in this arrest is chilling. ICE being a proto secret police seems to be perceived already. The FBI now? There’s question whether the ICE agents even had legal grounds to demand arrest regardless, whether they had a warrant, etc - and the facts established are pretty clearly not prosecutable. So this is pure intimidation, going after the judicial in what will likely be a flagrantly abusive way, yet doing it proudly and across the media - this is a shot across the bow telling judges at all levels they are next. And if there’s anyone that knows being arrested changes your life forever, it’s judges.

I am not alarmist or hyperbolic by nature, and I don’t say this lightly, but this is the next level and the escalation event that leads to the end game. The separation of powers is unraveling, and this is America’s Sulla moment where the republic cracks. The question remains did the anti federalists bake enough stability into the constitution to ensure our first Sulla doesn’t lead to Julius Caesar.

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#322

Post by ivape »

Spivak wrote: post #162
willis936 wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

If it turns autocratic then there's no discussion to be had. Judge will waterboarded in Gitmo and Trump is de-facto king. We are no longer a nation of laws, the USA is renamed to Trumpopolis and we all have to get government mandated orange spray tans. So assuming that doesn't happen, this is an action by a non-autocratic executive meant to have a chilling effect on low level judges who don't want to spend a few days…

[flagged]

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#324

Post by bix6 »

ivape wrote: post #306
bix6 wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering the ongoing due process deprivations this is the most concerning aspect to me. This is a sitting judge which is a significant escalation against the judiciary.

I was talking to someone earlier about how we in America, today, are not entitled to anything. Just in the last hundred years, people lived under secret police, dictators, state-controlled media, occupation, you name it. Hundreds of millions of people lived their whole life under the KGB or Stasi. Hundreds of millions live in autocracy even today. Some straight up live in a warzone as we speak. The idea that "we" can…

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

I expect America to be a beacon of light and I will fight for it. We all need to fight for it, especially the people who frequent this message board because we are among the most privileged and capable. It’s disappointing to me how many of our tech leaders forget what made them great in the first place and abuse us all in the pursuit of personal wealth.

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#325

Post by kashunstva »

_mlbt wrote: post #37
whoknowsidont wrote: post #12

Democratic states really need to start disallowing federal agents to operate within their borders and band together. Activate their respective national guards and make it happen. Yes, that means defying federal law. Yes that means exactly the consequences you want to draw from those actions. There is no other option at this point. The law is dead in the U.S.

Why are deportations of illegal immigrants bad? Come here legally and be properly vetted. The law is dead if states defy it by refusing to allow federal agents to enforce immigration law. This whole stance is absolute madness.

1. It is being done without due process. 2. One high-profile mistake has already been made; and a man is now languishing in a Salvadoran prison. 3. The conditions of detention are often horrendous. I would support upholding their laws if they executed them a shred of human decency and empathy.

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#326

Post by ldoughty »

mjburgess wrote: post #51
kemayo wrote: post #16

> He accused Dugan of “intentionally misdirecting” federal agents who arrived at the courthouse to detain an immigrant who was set to appear before her in an unrelated proceeding. It sounds like the arrest isn't because of any official act of the judge, but rather over them either not telling the ICE agents where the person was or giving them the wrong information about their location. There are some pretty broad law…

1. It isnt clear ICE agents have any legal authority to demand a judge tell them anything. 2. It is highly likely this is an official act, since it would be taken on behalf of court, so the immigrant can give, eg. testimony in a case. A "private act" here would be the judge lying in order to prevent their deportation because they as a private person wanted to do so. It seems highly unlikely that this is the case.

According to the FBI complaint that was just made available:

Judge Dugan escorted the subject through a "jurors door" to private hallways and exits instead of having the defendant leave via the main doors into the public hallway, where she visually confirmed the agents were waiting for him.

I couldn't tell if the judge knew for certain that ICE was only permitted to detain the defendant in 'public spaces' or not.

Regardless, the judge took specific and highly unusual action to ensure the defendant didn't go out the normal exit into ICE hands -- and that's the basis for the arrest.

I don't necessarily agree with ICE actions, but I also can't refute that the judge took action to attempt to protect the individual. On one side you kind of want immigrants to show up to court when charged with crimes so they can defend themselves... but on the other side, this individual deported in 2013 and returned to the country without permission (as opposed to the permission expiring, or being revoked, so there was no potential 'visa/asylum/permission due process' questions)

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#327

Post by ceejayoz »

euroderf wrote: post #305
phendrenad2 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like some lower-level ICE agents screwed up, and let the subject get away, and they're trying to redirect blame to the judge. I doubt this will stick, barring any new info on what happened.

Going from "redirect blame" to "make an arrest" is a significant escalation.

That's the main tactic this administration uses, isn't it? Double down, never admit fault, get into a giant trade war with the rest of the world...

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#328

Post by rahimnathwani »

bix6 wrote: post #190

Milwaukee journal is providing great coverage: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/breaking/2025/04/25/milw...

The AP article someone else linked is much better: it includes both:

- a PDF of the criminal complaint (court filing), and

- details of what specifically the complaint alleges (that the judge encouraged the person to escape out of a 'jury door' to evade arrest).

The phrase 'jury door' doesn't appear in the JS article.

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#329

Post by kcatskcolbdi »

dylan604 wrote: post #280
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Under any occasion, it was inappropriate to arrest a judge like this. We’re honestly at the point where I’d be comfortable with armed militias defending state and local institutions from federal police. If only to force someone to think twice about something like this. (To be clear, I’m not happy we’re here. But we are.)

why do you think the people willing to be a part of the armed militias you mention are NOT on the same way of thinking as what ICE is attempting to do. that's just how the militia types tend to lean, so I don't think this would have the effect you're looking for

and something tells me the side that spent decades demonizing firearm ownership probably can't win an arms race against their ideological opponents.

Re: FBI arrests judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

#330

Post by adriand »

Spivak wrote: post #233
trealira wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You seem to be quite blasé about the possibility of autocracy. But yes, there is a risk that Trump becomes a dictator and we're no longer a nation of laws. It depends on how people like us react to consolidations of power like this, or the illegal impoundment, or cases like Kilmar Abrego Garcia's. The law only matters insofar as we and our representatives can enforce it.

I'm not so much blasé about it, more just nihilistic because I am the last person with any kind of power to stop it. I imagine most of HN falls into this bucket of people with no real political power or influence. My realistic option if it happens is to move.

Protest! People power is the best way to resist autocracy especially in the early stages when resistance has a chance of success. Don’t ignore the fact that protests are happening. Musk is fleeing Washington because the backlash successfully tanked Tesla. That’s a big win right there!

Consider just how much more inconvenient/shitty/tragic it will be for you and the people you know if you are indeed forced to move, as compared to successfully pushing back right now.

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