A growing judicial crisis is unfolding in Wisconsin after Judge Monica Isham signaled she may refuse to conduct court proceedings in protest over the arrest of fellow state judge Hannah Dugan by federal authorities. The controversy erupted over the weekend, sparking heated debate about immigration enforcement, judicial independence, and the limits of federal power within state courthouses.

Isham expressed her outrage in a strongly worded email sent Saturday to judges across Wisconsin. The message, titled “Guidance Requested or I Refuse to Hold Court,” was obtained by Wisconsin Right Now and reveals Isham’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration agents under any circumstances.

“If there is no guidance for us and no support for us, I will refuse to hold court in Branch 2 in Sawyer County,” she wrote. “I will not put myself or my staff—who may feel compelled to assist me—or my community in harm’s way.”

Isham went even further, making an explosive comparison between immigration detention facilities and historical atrocities. “I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process,” she stated, invoking both the U.S. Constitution and the Wisconsin Constitution as justification for her stance.

Her email asked whether she should begin “raising bail money,” implying she expected potential fallout for defying federal authorities.

Federal immigration officials, however, maintain that individuals targeted for removal have already had their due process through the immigration court system. Former Trump administration border chief Tom Homan has frequently emphasized that those with final deportation orders have exhausted appeals before enforcement occurs.

Isham acknowledged the seriousness of her threat, writing: “If this costs me my job or gets me arrested, then at least I know I did the right thing.”

Her comments quickly drew national attention. Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, publicly criticized Isham’s stance, calling it “problematic” and arguing that judges do not have the authority to obstruct federal law.

The uproar follows the dramatic arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan on Friday. Dugan is accused of obstructing a federal operation and concealing an individual sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the criminal complaint, Dugan allegedly helped a Mexican national—Eduardo Flores-Ruiz—evade immigration agents who arrived to detain him following a court hearing.

Flores-Ruiz, who was facing three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly assaulting two people, had appeared before Dugan in April. The complaint states that when federal agents from ICE, the FBI, the DEA, and Customs and Border Protection attempted to take him into custody, Dugan diverted officers to the chief judge’s office. After the hearing concluded, she is alleged to have escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted courtroom door normally used by jurors, avoiding the public exits where agents were waiting.

Dugan has a long background in legal aid and nonprofit work, including serving as executive director of Catholic Charities, before being elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2016. She won reelection without opposition in 2022 and primarily oversees misdemeanor cases.

The Wisconsin incident follows a similar scandal in New Mexico, where former Judge Joel Cano and his wife were arrested for allegedly sheltering an illegal immigrant suspected of belonging to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. That gang, along with MS-13, has been designated a terrorist organization by former President Donald Trump. Cano was charged with harboring an illegal alien gang member and providing firearms.

Given these cases, former ICE Director Tom Homan said the arrest of state judges should surprise no one. Following the second arrest, Homan posted a forceful statement on X (formerly Twitter).

“Nobody should be surprised by the arrest of two judges,” he wrote. “I have said many times in recent months that people can choose to support illegal immigration and refuse to assist ICE in removing criminal illegal aliens from our communities, BUT DON’T CROSS THAT LINE.”

Homan emphasized that judges, like all public officials, are not immune to prosecution when they interfere with federal operations. “Jurists aren’t above the law,” he stated. “If they obstruct justice or harbor individuals with final deportation orders, they will face consequences.”

As tensions escalate between state courts and federal authorities, the situation in Wisconsin highlights the widening divide over immigration enforcement. Whether Judge Isham will follow through on her threat to shut down her courtroom remains unclear, but the dispute signals a broader conflict brewing between local judicial officers and federal agents—a conflict likely to intensify as similar cases emerge nationwide.