Liberals Go Ballistic over Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Two explosive scandals this month have thrust Democrat-aligned judges into the spotlight for openly defying President Trump’s authority to enforce immigration law. In both cases, the judges were arrested for allegedly harboring and shielding illegal aliens — triggering a political uproar and media frenzy.
Observers say the judge’s alleged lawbreaking exposes a deeper pattern of sabotage against immigration enforcement taking root within the nation’s judiciary.
It’s no secret that liberal judges have been interfering with President Trump’s immigration agenda every way they can, with multiple cases having already reached the Supreme Court. Judges are no longer passively ignoring federal immigration law through non-cooperation with ICE and the FBI.
Some are actively working against it through criminal acts of their own.
Democrats and their media allies are working to glorify these judges, casting them as heroes for standing up to President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
“Congress erupts over FBI arrest of Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan,” headlines screamed, quoting multiple Democrats expressing outrage over ICE agents taking a judge into custody after she allegedly aided an illegal immigrant in evading arrest by law enforcement.
Federal prosecutors allege that the immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico and was issued an Expedited Removal order in January 2013. He managed to evade that order for many years, keeping himself off the radar and out of sight of authorities.
Until his luck ran out.
On April 18, he was in a Milwaukee court for a pretrial court hearing before Judge Hannah Dugan, facing charges of assault and domestic abuse.
According to the criminal complaint, Ruiz allegedly had attacked three individuals after an altercation with his roommate about playing loud music.
Discussing the case in a press interview, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged that Flores-Ruiz beat his roommate and a woman so badly that they needed to be hospitalized and that he continued to be belligerent in the hospital before his arrest.
Judge Helps Suspect Escape ICE Agents
Judge Hannah Dugan apparently got word that FBI and ICE agents had entered the courtroom gallery and were waiting for the pretrial hearing to finish so they arrest Flores-Ruiz on immigration charges.
When she learned ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, she became “visibly angry,” snapping that the situation was “absurd,” according to the complaint which cites witnesses who spoke to the FBI.
According to their testimony, the judge demanded to see the agents’ warrant before ordering them to report to the Chief Judge’s office, a directive they complied with. While the agents were engaged in a discussion with the Chief Judge over legal technicalities about where in the courthouse the arrest could be made, Judge Dugan swiftly ushered the Mexican national out of the room through a private side door.
Flores-Ruiz fled the courthouse and sprinted down the block. A federal agent spotted him fleeing and after a dramatic foot chase, he was tackled by enforcement personnel and taken into custody.
After filing a federal complaint, the FBI arrested Judge Dugan at the courthouse over charges of obstructing ICE proceedings and harboring or concealing a person to prevent arrest—both serious felonies.
If convicted, she faces six years in prison.
A Fake ‘Constitutional Crisis’
As soon as the news of the arrest was reported, Democrats and their media allies worked to declare a constitutional crisis.
“Constitutional Crisis May Arise From Trump’s Arrest Of Judge Dugan,” NPR warned breathlessly.
“The Trump administration again is breaking norms. They’re attacking the judiciary. This is stuff I expect from Third World countries,” cried Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan, D-Wis.
“If [FBI Director] Kash Patel and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them. This is stunning — we must stand up to this blatant power grab. Republicans: How is this not a red line for you?” demanded Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.
“They arrested a judge?! They can no longer claim to be a party of law and order. This will have to be a red line for congressional Republicans. Unbelievable,” exclaimed Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. said the arrest “is a drastic move threatening the rule of law.”
Yet, what if the officers are not lying and the allegations are true?
Ordinary citizens would face prosecution and incarceration for the conduct for such crimes. Do the judicial robes give judges a free pass to engage in alleged criminal acts?
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., gave voice to countless Americans who hailed the judge’s arrest. “If she broke the law, she needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent. No double standards,” he asserted.
“It’s abundantly clear that many activist judges around the country have been acting politically in order to sabotage President Trump’s agenda,” declared Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. “This would ultimately disenfranchise the 77 million Americans that voted for him.”
Judge Cano Scandal: Part Two
The Wisconsin judge’s arrest came the same day that another judge—Judge Joel Cano of New Mexico—was arrested on charges of harboring illegal aliens. The charges were compounded by allegations of tampering with and destroying evidence, a festering scandal whose opening chapter was detailed in these pages last week.
The shocking saga began with federal agents receiving an anonymous tip revealing that three undocumented Venezuelans were staying in Judge Cano’s home. The source said the men were working for Cano and were being given access to firearms.
The tipster also told the federal agents that at least one the men, Cristian Ortega-Lopez, was associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua or TDA, a transnational criminal organization branded a terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
Upon raiding Cano’s home, authorities found at least three illegal aliens on the property, including Ortega-Lopez—along with a number of rifles and guns.
According to court documents, law enforcement was able to verify everything the informant told them through social media, as well as from voicemails and text messages on the confiscated cell phones. One of the posts showed Ortega-Lopez dancing and then pulling out a gun.
Non-citizens including legal and illegal immigrant are prohibited from having or possessing firearms in the United States.
Authorities also said the men’s tattoos, clothing and secret hand salutes captured on social media posts, along with incriminating photos, all point to gang involvement. On the basis of this tranche of evidence, the men were arrested.
After pictures of Judge Joel Cano with Lopez and other friends holding cans of beer in Cano’s backyard were leaked to the media, Judge Cano abruptly resigned from the court.
The New Mexico Supreme Court barred him from ever again serving as a judge in the state.
An Astounding Confession
Cano’s situation worsened dramatically a few days ago when the FBI obtained a second search warrant and raided the home again, seeking a phone belonging to Ortega-Lopez.
The judge admitted under questioning that he had destroyed the phone with a hammer, casting the broken pieces into a dumpster. His motive? According to the FBI, Cano said he believed the phone contained incriminating pictures and videos of Ortega Lopez with firearms.
“Specifically, Judge Cano said that he destroyed the cellphone and further admitted that he believed the phone contained photos or videos that would reflect negatively on Ortega-Lopez,” the official criminal complaint reads.
“Through further questioning, agents ascertained that Judge Cano destroyed the cell phone believing that it contained photographs of Ortega holding firearms that he had uploaded onto social media platforms, which would be additional incriminating evidence against him.”
Cano didn’t just smash a phone; he smashed his reputation. FBI agents arrested Cano and charged him with destroying evidence to protect a defendant, a charge that allows up to 20 years in prison. He and his wife were also charged with hosting alleged Tren de Aragua gang members in their home and providing them with firearms.
Two of the suspected gang members are presently behind bars awaiting deportation hearings. Cano and his wife remain in custody as well.
In a letter to the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission, Joel Cano defended himself, stating, “I find these allegations to be highly sensationalized and without merit… There is no way in the world that I would have allowed my grandkids to have any contact with the boys if I sensed danger.”
Cano has refuted claims of allowing access to firearms and denied knowledge of any connection to the gang.
He denied that he had permitted the men to possess firearms, which would jeopardize their legal status in the U.S., admitting only to accompanying them on a December trip to a firing range.
“I cannot help but feel that the capture of these boys is just another unfortunate addition to the current nationwide effort to apprehend, detain and deport anyone not born in the U.S.,” he wrote.
The Canos appeared in court for their first hearing last week in handcuffs and shackles. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison.
“Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges,” Ellison stressed.
Democrats Spin the Scandals
Democrats seized on the twin judicial arrests—of Judge Dugan of Wisconsin, and Judge Cano of New Mexico–as evidence of Trump’s so-called “assault on the judiciary.”
Democrats are trying to spin these scandals into a narrative about the Trump administration working to crush judicial independence. But it’s all too clear what the real issues are: progressive judges who, if the charges are true, misused their judicial power to grant special privileges to violent and gang-affiliated criminals.
One judge smuggled a domestic abuser out of court to evade ICE; another harbored a gangster and destroyed evidence to protect the gang member tied to illegal firearms. People guilty of far less serious crimes have been slapped with stiff sentences.
One would hope that most Americans can sense the inherent injustice: Democrats are trying to defend their two-tiered justice system — one system for protected classes of criminals and for themselves, and another for the rest of us.
Discussing the Judge Dugan case during an appearance on Fox News, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that everyone is entitled to their day in court but reiterated that “so are victims of crimes.”
“[Victims of Flores-Ruiz] didn’t get their day in court because the judge let a criminal defendant walk out a door. She helped them. She obstructed justice,” Bondi said.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in a statement on Friday criticized President Trump and the White House for what he said were efforts “to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.” [See Sidebar]
But Bondi said that judges attempting to help immigrants evade arrest were “deranged.”
“I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law, and they are not,” Bondi said. “And we are sending a very strong message today: If you are harboring a fugitive, we don’t care who you are. If you are helping hide one, if you are giving a TDA member guns, anyone who is illegally in this country, we will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you.”
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Political Theater Masked As Moral Outrage
The political firestorm over the arrests of the two judges in New Mexico and Wisconsin, amid accusations from Democratic congressmen that Trump is trying to “assault the judiciary,” implies that this is the first time that judges in this country have been arrested.
In reality, Democrats’ shock and moral outrage are little more than political theater. Judges, like all mortals, are just as prone to moral failings and legal troubles as anyone else. They are most likely arrested at roughly the same rate as the general population, for crimes ranging from drunk driving to violence and murder— as the headlines below make all too clear.
Yavapai County (Arizona) Judge Accused of Extreme DUI Takes Plea Deal
“Superior Court Judge Cele Hancock took a plea deal Friday, pleading guilty to the lowest level DUI charge. Hancock was stopped by Prescott Police back in March and charged with extreme DUI. Her blood alcohol at the time was nearly three times the legal limit.” –KTVK, May 2023
Douglas Country Probate Judge Charged with Felony in Atlanta
“Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson is facing multiple charges after she was arrested early Thursday in Atlanta. Jail records reveal Peterson is facing felony obstruction of a police officer by using threats or violence and simple battery against a police officer.” –Fox Atlanta, June 2024
California Judge Texted Court Staff that He Shot and Killed His Wife During an Argument —CBS News, Aug 2023
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The Democrat and media meltdown over Judges Cano and Dugan clearly isn’t just about their arrests — nor about Trump supposedly ‘opening a new front in the war against the judiciary,’ as Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-MD., theatrically claimed.
At its core, the outrage stems from the fact that elites who abuse their power and place themselves above the law are finally facing real-world consequences. And it won’t be for minor slip-ups or technicalities, but for legal sabotage that endangered innocent American citizens.
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Wisconsin Governor Advises Workers to Refuse to Cooperate With ICE
“Democrats chose a hill to die on—they will defend the last violent, human-trafficking Central American gangbanger escape from ICE no matter what the cost,” wrote the Gateway Pundit in a hard-hitting article about a memo from Wisconsin’s Gov. Evers’ Office directing state employees to not cooperate with ICE on immigration enforcement.
According to documents leaked by conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell, the April 18th memo, “lays out explicit steps for state employees to follow when ICE agents arrive at government buildings,” the article said.
Instead of cooperating with authorities, employees are being told by Gov. Tony Evers’ administration to stonewall — refuse to answer questions, deny access to files, and even demand agents leave if no attorney is available.
“We have received questions from state employees regarding what to do in case of an encounter with federal agents at work and are providing the enclosed information,” the memo said.
“If you should encounter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal agents at work, please refer to the enclosed guidance. While we hope it won’t be necessary to put this guidance into practice, please do your part to be prepared and have contact information for your agency’s Office of Legal Counsel readily available.”
Among the “guidance” given to state workers are instructions to “refuse to answer any questions, even about known individuals ICE is seeking, and to deny agents access to paper files and computers, even if they present a warrant.
Stall and Obstruct
The memo also directs employees to actively block agents from entering non-public areas, unless they produce a judicial warrant. [An administrative warrant is supposedly not sufficient.]
It also instructs employees to demand agents sit “in isolated public areas and force them to wait indefinitely while contacting attorneys.”
“Order agents to leave and return later if a state lawyer isn’t immediately reachable,” the memo urges.
In short, employees are ordered to stall and obstruct, and to protect illegal aliens — even if those aliens are dangerous criminals wanted by the federal government.
“In an email to staff, Deputy Secretary Hanson admitted that this scheme was crafted in response to growing fears among Wisconsin’s liberal bureaucrats who, rather than upholding the law, are worried about inadvertently cooperating with ICE,” the Gateway Pundit article said.
This is nothing short of counseling citizens to engage in lawbreaking defiance and rebellion, the author writes.
“The Governor’s directive is a direct challenge to the supremacy of federal immigration law and an insult to every law-abiding American. By coaching state employees to obstruct ICE, Wisconsin’s leadership is aiding and abetting illegal immigration,” the article stressed.
“Governor Tony Evers should take a hard look at what happens when you obstruct ICE — just ask radical Judge Hannah Dugan.”
