They Just Arrested a Judge

How authoritarianism takes root in America — one institution at a time

It’s begun.

The FBI arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan today, allegedly for helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest. The news broke not through an official statement, but via a now-deleted post on X from none other than FBI Director Kash Patel.

“Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” Patel wrote. The post vanished shortly after, but not before its message rang out loud and clear.

And so, the stage has been set.

This didn’t come out of nowhere. The Trump administration has long promised to go after local officials who don’t fall in line with its aggressive deportation agenda. Back in January, a Department of Justice memo instructed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to bring charges against non-compliant public servants. That was the warning shot. This is the follow-through.

Let’s not be naïve. There’s always an angle. And here, the angle is power.

Subduing the judiciary has always been a prerequisite for authoritarian rule. You don’t get there overnight. You get there through erosion—of trust, of norms, of resistance. Trump and his inner circle have already spent years attacking the free press, painting the FBI, FEMA, DOE, IRS, and virtually every other federal agency as corrupt or compromised. Now, their focus has shifted to the courts.

Threats. Arrests. Smears.

This is a pressure campaign, plain and simple. The objective? Turn Americans against the judiciary. Chip away at the idea of impartial justice. Drown it in suspicion and fear until the public no longer trusts judges to serve them—but only to serve "the system."

And make no mistake: this is a test. A line-crossing moment. If it goes unchallenged, it won’t be the last.

Yes, the administration is feeling the pressure. Earlier today, they reversed course on their plan to rescind student visas—a humiliating about-face. Tariff threats? On again, off again. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now out there softening slogans: “America First is not America Alone.”

So the resistance is working. But only just.

This is where the line must be held. No matter how the Trump machine tries to spin this as law and order, it’s overreach—and if Democrats don’t push back now, there will be more.

Protest. Speak out. Mobilize. Make this the moment where the country says: No more.

The response from Democrats was immediate — and furious. “This is a descent into government chaos,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin. “It is remarkable that the Administration would dare to start arresting state court judges.”

Rep. Mark Pocan didn’t hold back either: “This is stuff I expect from Third World countries.” Rep. Becca Balint called it what it is — “dangerous and outrageous,” demanding a full investigation into the motives and legality of the arrest. Even Rep. Greg Landsman sounded the alarm: “They arrested a judge?! This has to be a red line.”

And they’re right.

To Democrats, this is not just another Trump stunt. It is a targeted assault on the judicial branch — an escalation meant to intimidate judges, sabotage independent oversight, and lay the groundwork for unchecked executive power. This isn’t about one courtroom. This is about whether the courts can remain a check on power at all.

So what happens now? Unity. That’s what happens now.

Enough scattered outrage. It’s time to link arms. Rally behind the judiciary. Make it clear — publicly and loudly — that any attack on the courts is an attack on the Constitution itself. This moment calls for more than statements. It calls for action.

Democrats must show the country that they are not just angry — they are united.

That means defending judges. Elevating the rule of law. Calling for investigations, yes — but also forming a visible, forceful, national front that refuses to let authoritarianism slip through under the cover of “law and order.”

Because the playbook is clear. Discredit the courts. Undermine public trust. Claim judges are political. Then take them out one by one. If Democrats don’t make this arrest a line in the sand, the next one will come even easier.

Rally. Push back. Show the country what it means to fight for democracy.