FBI director Kash Patel said Friday a US judge was arrested for helping an undocumented migrant evade federal agents, escalating a growing struggle between the White House and courts over president Donald Trump鈥檚 hardline deportation policies.
Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge, allegedly 鈥榠ntentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject鈥� who they were intending to detain at her courthouse, Patel said in a post on X, which聽 he later deleted.
鈥楾he FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction鈥攁fter evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,鈥� Patel said in his post.
The migrant was arrested shortly afterwards.
鈥楾hankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he鈥檚 been in custody since, but the Judge鈥檚 obstruction created increased danger to the public,鈥� Patel said.
The Trump-appointed FBI director deleted his post minutes after it appeared, and Dugan鈥檚 status remained unclear.
A number of federal and state judges across the United States have issued rulings that put several of Trump鈥檚 executive actions on hold, particularly related to his bid to exercise unprecedented powers in deporting migrants.
The Trump administration has been butting heads with federal judges, rights groups and Democrats who say he has trampled or ignored constitutionally enshrined rights in rushing to deport migrants, sometimes without the right to a hearing.
On Thursday, a former county magistrate judge in New Mexico and his wife were taken into custody after federal agents raided their Las Cruces home over their harbouring of an alleged undocumented migrant who is believed to be a member of Venezuela鈥檚 Tren de Aragua gang, US media reported.
