A federal court in Wisconsin on Tuesday rejected Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan’s attempt to dismiss criminal charges that she obstructed immigration officers who sought to arrest a domestic-violence suspect in her courtroom. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled that judicial immunity does not shield Dugan from prosecution, saying “there is no basis for granting immunity simply because some of the allegations … describe conduct that could be considered part of a judge’s job.” The decision sets a 3 Sept. status hearing and could clear the way for a trial later this year; Dugan, who is suspended with pay, faces up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine if convicted. The Wisconsin ruling came the same day a separate federal court dealt a setback to the Trump administration in another immigration dispute. U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen in Baltimore dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to overturn a Maryland district court’s standing order granting migrants an automatic two-business-day pause before deportation. Calling the litigation against the entire bench “novel and potentially calamitous,” Cullen said the administration should have pursued conventional appeals instead of suing the judges directly. Together, the contrasting decisions underscore persistent friction between President Donald Trump’s drive to accelerate deportations and the judiciary’s efforts to define the limits of both executive power and judicial immunity.
Federal judge denies motion to dismiss charges against Judge Hannah Dugan in ICE enforcement case https://t.co/sVAxYJ9zbs
A Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade arrest by U.S. immigration agents lost an attempt Tuesday to throw out the Trump administration's case against her, although there's still another chance to appeal. https://t.co/ixOjpY4xiI
JUST IN: Federal Judge Denies Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan’s Motion to Dismiss ICE Obstruction Case https://t.co/lUbG0OlzOx