Former Wisconsin judge spared prison for ushering Mexican immigrant away from ICE agents

By — Claire Savage, Associated Press Claire Savage, Associated Press By — Scott Bauer, Associated Press Scott Bauer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/former-wisconsin-judge-spared-prison-for-ushering-mexican-immigrant-away-from-ice-agents Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Former Wisconsin judge spared prison for ushering Mexican immigrant away from ICE agents Politics Jul 8, 2026 2:15 PM EDT MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was spared from prison Wednesday for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A federal judge fined her $5,000 and cited her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Dugan, 67, was convicted of felony obstruction in December. Her lawyers argued during her trial that President Donald Trump's administration sought to "crush" Dugan in an effort to ensure judicial compliance with the ICE strategy of targeting immigrants as they showed up for court hearings. READ MORE: Who is Hannah Dugan, Milwaukee judge who was arrested? Dugan resigned the Milwaukee County circuit judgeship she had held for nine years in January amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers who labeled her an activist judge. In her resignation letter, she said her prosecution threatened "the independence of our judiciary." Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a fierce Trump loyalist running for Wisconsin governor, urged authorities to "lock her up" in a social media post following her conviction. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Two Marquette University law professors spoke on her behalf, including a former state Supreme Court justice and a Jesuit priest who read a statement describing Dugan as a defender of oppressed people and saying he didn't believe there was a need for punishment. "Hannah models what it means to be a Christian," Gregory O'Meara said. Dugan then rose to address the court, saying she's tried to do her best as a judge, and that her actions that day in April 2025 were not done maliciously but rather to maintain the "decorum and safety of the courtroom." WATCH: Fired immigration judge gives inside look at Trump's deportation agenda "I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who's just trying to do my job," Dugan said, adding that she has had to retire from public life due to threats against her and her family. A prosecutor then acknowledged that "she has experienced collateral damage because of her conduct," but said "judges can't choose to disregard the law." U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman then spoke, saying Dugan made a bad decision and that he doesn't believe prison is necessary. READ MORE: They thought they were in court for a routine immigration hearing, but walked into a deportation trap "This is a few m