Quick Take
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FBI chief Kash Patel deleted his post about the arrest of a Judge minutes after sharing it. He accused her of obstructing immigration enforcement. The incident highlights tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary over immigration policy.
Washington DC:
FBI chief Kash Patel finds himself in a spot after hastily posting about a judge’s arrest on his social media handle on X. The case in question was about an undocumented migrant who was allegedly evading federal agents who were pursuing him.
The Trump administration has accused the sitting Judge of a federal court of allegedly “helping” the migrant. The judge’s arrest comes amid growing struggle between the government and the judiciary in America.
President Trump’s policy on immigrants, both legal and illegal – and the manner of their detention and deportation has been nothing short of being termed hardline, rights activists say.
‘DELETED WITHIN MINUTES’
The tussle between the White House and courts saw a sharp escalation with the arrest of Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit judge. She “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject,” claimed Mr Patel in a post on X, adding that agents were “intending to detain the migrant at the courthouse.”
Mr Patel further wrote that “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.” But the FBI Director deleted his post within minutes.
The migrant was arrested shortly afterwards. “Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Mr Patel said.
JUDGES BEING ARRESTED
However, Judge Dugan’s whereabouts remained unknown. Her arrest status also remained unclear.
On Thursday, a former county magistrate judge in New Mexico and his wife were also taken into custody after federal agents raided their Las Cruces home over their harboring of an alleged undocumented migrant who is believed to be a member of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, US media reported.
Several federal and state judges across America have issued rulings that put many of President Trump’s executive orders on hold, particularly those where he exercised unprecedented powers in deporting migrants.
TRUMP vs THE JUDICIARY
The Trump administration is at loggerheads with judges, activists, rights groups, academics, universities, and to say the least, Democrats, who all say that the US President has blatantly ignored rights enshrined in the US Constitution and trampled on the justice system in a rush to deport migrants, who he treats as enemies and hardened criminals.
They say that migrants are being chased out with such intensity and viciousness, that most are not even getting to exercise their right to a hearing. At a recent press briefing at the Oval Office, Donald Trump has even said that he believes not everybody deserves a court hearing.
“We’re getting them out, and I hope we get cooperation from the courts because you know, we have thousands of people that are ready to go out, and you can’t have a trial for all of these people,” President Trump had said.
Considering all migrants being deported as criminals and killers, Mr Trump had said, “Look, we are getting some very bad people, killers, murderers, drug dealers, really bad people, the mentally ill, the mentally insane, they emptied out insane asylums into our country, we’re getting them out”, adding that “A judge can’t say, ‘No, you have to have a trial.'”
“We are going to have a very dangerous country if we are not allowed to do what we are entitled to do,” Donald Trump had said.
