Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of obstruction last month for helping an immigrant evade federal officials, has sent her resignation letter to the governor.
The letter was sent on Saturday. Republicans had been making plans to impeach her since her conviction on December 19. A spokesman for Governor Tony Evers said his office has received Dugan’s letter, and will work to fill the vacancy without delay.
Dugan wrote that over the last ten years she has handled thousands of cases with “a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act fairly, deliberately and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety that the public deserves.”
But she said the case against her is too much of a distraction.
“As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from being concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary. I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary,” said Dugan in her letter.
Last April, federal prosecutors accused Dugan of obstructing federal officers who tried to arrest a Mexican immigrant outside her courtroom and leading the man out a private door. A federal jury convicted her of felony obstruction.
The case against Dugan has been highlighted by President Donald Trump as he moves forward with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats have insisted that the administration is trying to make an example of Dugan to reduce judicial opposition to the operation.
Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised Dugan’s decision.
“I’m glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning and following the clear direction from the Wisconsin Constitution,” Vos said.
Democrat Ann Jacobs, who chairs the board of the Wisconsin Election Commission, said she agrees with Dugan that Milwaukee should have a permanent judge in place while this fight plays out.
“Despite her situation, she is always the champion of justice, who wants to remove the judiciary from a political battle about her fate. I am sure that this is terribly difficult for her but she is loyal to her faith and her principles,” said Jacobs in a post on X.
On April 18, immigration officials went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning that 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had re-entered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a state battery hearing.
Dugan confronted agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the office of her boss, Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley, because she told them their administrative warrant was not sufficient reason to arrest Flores-Ruiz.
After the agents left, she led Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer out of a private jury room. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the hallway, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. The US Department of Homeland Security announced in November that he had been deported.