State and local officials, faith leaders, and community advocates gathered on April 28 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to condemn the FBI’s arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan on April 25, calling it a politically motivated attack orchestrated by the Trump administration against the judiciary.
Eileen Figueroa, national treasurer for Forward Latino, a national advocacy organization based in Milwaukee, opened the press conference by affirming the unity and urgency of the moment.
“Today we gather not in celebration, but with a deep concern etched in our hearts, our democracy,” Figueroa said. “We stand here today to affirm our unwavering support for Judge Hannah Dugan, who embodies the principles of justice and the rule of law, and to voice our profound opposition to any actions that undermine the Constitution.”
Attorney Ann Jacobs, a prominent Jewish community leader, criticized the federal complaint against Judge Dugan for distorting basic facts.
“Let’s take a look at the complaint filed against Judge Dugan with a skeptical eye,” Jacobs said. “Judge Dugan sent this man, according to the complaint, out to a public hallway, where law enforcement officers were waiting. They watched him walk by. If they were going to let him walk by the side door, they were going to let him walk by the main door.”
Jacobs called out the FBI’s treatment of Judge Dugan, describing it as a tactic to smear her reputation and intimidate her.
“They arrested Judge Dugan at the courthouse, a public spectacle designed to humiliate a sitting judge, and then published a photograph of her in handcuffs on social media,” she said. “This was not about justice. It was about sending a message to chill judicial independence.”
Milwaukee County Supervisor Caroline Gómez-Tom addressed the broader implications for constitutional protections inside county facilities.
“On April 24, our board passed a resolution to limit unlawful arrests within our courthouse and protect anyone entering any county building seeking services,” Gómez-Tom said. “Seventeen voted yes, and one abstained because they knew they could not vote no against the Constitution. What we are seeing now is retaliation for us doing what is right.”
Gómez-Tom emphasized that the issue was not limited to Judge Dugan but represented a broader assault on constitutional justice for all residents of the United States.
“We are standing up not just for our immigrant community, but for everyone’s rights. If we let the constitution slip away from us, we are losing all our rights.”
Milwaukee County Register of Deeds Israel Ramón spoke, pledging that his office would remain a safe space for county residents despite growing federal overreach.
“I will not be silenced,” Ramón said. “As a Mexican American and the first Latino constitutional officer in our state since 1848, I will honor my oath to protect the constitution and ensure access to county services for all.”
He condemned the chilling effect the arrest of Judge Dugan could have on vulnerable communities.
“The longer we wait to take action, the more fear and uncertainty will prevail,” Ramón said. “If the board can act, if I can act, then so can the judiciary and county executive. Not next week, not next month, but now.”
Ramón provided direct resources for residents fearful of accessing his office, affirming that no one seeking legitimate services would be turned away.
Wisconsin State Representative Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, denounced what she called an blantant attack on the state’s rule of law by the federal government under Trump.
“I am appalled on the assault of our Wisconsin state constitution by the Federal Bureau of Investigation here in Milwaukee,” Ortiz-Velez said. “We are entering an era of federal administrative lawlessness and heightened fear in our communities. Not against violent criminals, but against our mothers, our fathers, our children, our business owners, and our taxpayers.”
Ortiz-Velez warned that continued federal disregard for state law threatens the ability of Wisconsin to protect individual rights and deliver services mandated in its constitution.
“The federal government must follow state law and allow the state to deliver constitutional guarantees, including due process, and not violate our constitution with federal overreach,” she said. “We must stay faithful to our constitution and the rule of law.”
Wisconsin State Senator Tim Carpenter framed the unprecedented crisis in stark historic terms.
“America, we’re in the beginning of a constitutional crisis,” Carpenter said. “Donald Trump is a dictator. Through his executive orders, national emergencies, he’s usurping all the federal powers. When they put handcuffs on our good friend, Hannah Dugan, they put handcuffs on the judiciary, the third branch of government.”
Carpenter invoked painful historical parallels, comparing current actions to past episodes of mass injustice and warning of deeper erosion if unchecked.
“If they can do it here on these court steps in Milwaukee County, they will do it in other places. It’s all a matter of time.”
Senator Chris Larson continued the theme, warning that authoritarianism creeps forward through unchecked abuses of power.
“A country doesn’t move from a democracy to an autocracy overnight,” Larson said. “It’s many small, unanswered actions over time — alienating allies, silencing students, muting the Pentagon. And now they are coming for the courts.”
Larson directly criticized Trump’s politicization of federal law enforcement, calling attention to the methods used against Judge Dugan.
“The announcement for this arrest came via Twitter from conspiracy theorist Cash Patel, not experienced field agents in Milwaukee,” Larson said. “This is an effort by Trump to move us towards authoritarianism by demonstrating that judges will be bullied into obedience.”
Larson defended Judge Dugan’s personal and professional character, portraying her as a quiet and devoted public servant.
“Judge Dugan is somebody who literally celebrates Constitution Day and Bill of Rights Day. No other elected official out there is doing that. She even celebrates Citizens Day, when people become citizens in this country. That is who Hannah Dugan is to her core. This is the kind of person they decided to go after,” added Larson. “Trump is saying she doesn’t know the law, and we are supposed to trust ICE, an organization that operates without any transparency or public oversight.”
Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez spoke to the broader implications for immigrant communities and civic participation.
“Especially in my district, the immigrant community is powering Milwaukee. It is a stabilizing population, starting businesses, and paying taxes,” Pérez said. “The detaining and charging of Judge Dugan sends a chilling message to our community, already fearful of participating in our judicial system.”
Pérez emphasized that protecting judicial independence is vital for everyone’s rights.
“We must demand that judges be afforded the latitude to complete their role without fear and intimidation,” he said. “Our hope is in democracy. We must fight for it.”
NAACP-Milwaukee Branch President Clarence Nicholas called for immediate community organizing to address abuses and develop humane immigration policies.
“We must begin to organize a strategy to codify an immigration policy that will be transparent in Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, and the city of Milwaukee,” Nicholas said. “We must seek common ground for our large community’s best interests.”
Halyna Salapata, founder and president of Wisconsin Ukrainians, spoke about Judge Dugan’s long-standing support for freedom and democracy, both locally and internationally.
“Judge Dugan has been a true friend of the Ukrainian community in Milwaukee,” Salapata said. “She stood with us at every rally, often in the cold, rain, and snow. She stood for freedom, for justice, and for the people of Ukraine.”
Salapata recalled Judge Dugan’s personal connection to Ukraine and the profound impact of her solidarity.
“She shared her memories of traveling to Ukraine to teach about constitutional law and democracy,” Salapata said. “Judge Dugan has always understood that freedom and the rule of law are not abstract ideals. They are lived commitments.”
Rev. Dr. Kerri Parker, executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, condemned the broader moral collapse represented by the arrest.
“This is not how moral leaders settle disputes over facts or priorities,” Parker said. “If places of law are made lawless, if places for seeking justice are made disorderly, we cannot care for vulnerable people or uphold the rule of law.”
Parker called out the bullying tactics used against Judge Dugan as an attack on both faith principles and democratic values.
“Verbal, physical, and spiritual violence are being perpetrated daily upon our neighbors by representatives of our own government,” she said. “We demand accountability for these disproportionate actions.”
Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod-ELCA added context by calling the issue a fundamental violation of American principles.
“If we had an administration that cared about the facts and the rule of law, we wouldn’t be here today,” Erickson said. “The U.S. Constitution guarantees due process for every resident, not just citizens, and this courthouse must be a place where everyone can seek justice without fear.”
Erickson urged solidarity with Judge Dugan and all who defend liberty.
“Judge Dugan was simply doing her job, putting herself on the line to protect the rights and freedoms we all hold dear.”
Former U.S. Attorney James Santelle gave a sweeping legal indictment of the Trump administration’s contempt for judicial authority, citing multiple federal judges who have had to threaten contempt charges against the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Judge Wilkinson of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote just eleven days ago about the constitutional crisis we are facing,” Santelle said. “The respect that courts must show the president must be reciprocated by the president’s respect for the courts. Today, that is not happening.”
Santelle warned that continued violations would irreparably damage the judiciary.
“The executive may succeed for a time in weakening the courts, but over time, history will script the tragic gap between what was and what might have been in America,” he said. “Law, in time, will sign its epitaph if we do not act.”
Santelle urged citizens to respond by reaffirming their commitment to constitutional principles at every level.
“Every conversation, every letter, every visit to an elected official must make clear: this is not acceptable. We must demand better while there is still time.”
Darryl Morin, national president of Forward Latino, closed the event by urging immediate action.
“Shortly after this press conference, we’re boarding a plane to the nation’s capital to make the case that our Constitution must be followed,” Morin said. “We have overwhelming support to remove violent criminals, but that is not what is happening. Ninety percent of those deported to CECOT have no criminal record.”
Morin condemned the political theater of Judge Dugan’s arrest as a calculated strategy of intimidation.
“They didn’t arrest a spymaster or a terrorist threat. They subdued a 65-year-old female judge and boasted about it on Twitter,” he said. “Judge Hannah Dugan deserves an apology. Our judiciary must be independent. If you love your country, you can no longer sit on the sidelines.”
He closed with a call to action.
“Tell your senators and representatives to fulfill their oaths to defend the Constitution of the United States. Tell them to stop this attack on our courts.”
The speakers ended the press conference with a unified message: defending the rule of law is the duty of every American who values freedom, justice, and democracy.
© Photo
Lee Matz
