Former judge avoids jail for aiding immigrant's ICE evasion

A former judge in Wisconsin, Hannah Dugan, has avoided jail time for obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. A federal court ordered Dugan, 67, to pay a $5,000 fine instead of serving a prison sentence.

Dugan was convicted in December for hindering federal agents when she helped a 31-year-old Mexican immigrant, who was facing charges for assault, escape ICE custody. She moved the man out of a courthouse through a back exit as officers moved to arrest him. Although ICE agents later apprehended the immigrant after a pursuit, and he was deported in November, Dugan faced legal consequences.

U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper stated that a prison sentence was not warranted, considering Dugan's otherwise unblemished record and the significant repercussions she has already endured. "I believe this is a situation where an otherwise good person, who was angry about immigration policy in this country, made a wrong decision in the heat of the moment," Pepper said.

Dugan has already lost her position as a judge in Milwaukee County after Republicans announced impeachment proceedings against her. She also had to move and cease attending public events due to threats she received. Her defense team announced plans to appeal the verdict.