AFP :
A US federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted a Wisconsin judge on charges of concealing a person from immigration agents, after she was taken into custody and accused of helping an undocumented migrant avoid arrest.
US President Donald Trump has delivered on campaign promises to conduct a sweeping crackdown on undocumented migrants since coming to power in January, and has clashed with several courts which have argued he has not followed due process.
Hannah Dugan, a 66-year-old Milwaukee County circuit judge, was arrested last month and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on an obstruction charge, if convicted, in a case that has sparked a national uproar.
Dugan is accused of helping a Mexican national escape her courtroom after she learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, among other federal officials, were seeking to detain the man in the hallway.
Dugan’s arrest set off a torrent of criticism by Democrats and applause by some Republicans.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi defended Dugan’s arrest, issuing a chilling warning to those who may harbor illegal aliens: “We will find you.”
“We’re sending a very strong message today,” Bondi told Fox News at the time.
