Judge on Trial for Aiding Migrant, School Strip Searches of Children | Bloomberg Law

Judge on Trial for Obstructing ICE Arrest

• ⚖️ A Wisconsin judge, Hannah Dugan, is on trial for allegedly obstructing an official Department of Homeland Security removal proceeding by helping a migrant evade arrest.
• 🎯 The prosecution alleges the judge acted with the intent to impede ICE from arresting Eduardo Flores Ruiz, who has since been deported.
• 💡 The defense is reportedly leaning on a juror nullification angle, arguing the distance involved in the alleged evasion (11 ft 10 in) is insignificant.
• 🗣️ The judge's actions, including telling a court reporter, "I'll get the heat," and suggesting the defendant go down the stairs, are central to the case.

Immigration Judge Terminations and Recruitment

• 📉 Approximately 100 out of 700 immigration judges have been terminated, with many cases involving judges with high asylum approval rates or backgrounds representing migrants.
• 🏛️ Courts have generally been deferential to the Department of Justice's ability to fire immigration judges, even for ideological reasons.
• ⚠️ This trend is creating a loss of experience on the immigration bench, potentially leading to delays and errors in cases.
• 📢 The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly recruiting for "deportation judges," a framing that may have long-term legal implications.

Asylum Case Trends and Challenges

• 📉 A significant percentage of asylum cases are weak, with many individuals seeking entry to the U.S. without a genuine expectation of pursuing asylum.
• 🌍 Cases from countries like El Salvador and Venezuela are becoming harder to win due to improved conditions or lack of proof of persecution.
• ⏳ The large number of weak asylum claims contributes to backlogs and delays in the immigration court system.

Travel Bans and Social Media Data Collection

• 🌍 The U.S. has increased travel bans on citizens from 39 countries, with a disproportionate number in Africa and Muslim-majority nations.
• 🛂 Reasons cited include insufficient vetting and high visa refusal rates, though critics suggest other diplomatic motives.
• 📱 The U.S. is moving towards requiring social media data submission for all international travelers, even those under the Visa Waiver Program.
• ✈️ This increased burden could deter tourism, impacting industries like Las Vegas.

School Strip Searches of Minors

• 🏫 Public schools are reportedly strip searching children, some as young as five, for minor offenses like possessing a vape pen or pocketing change.
• 💔 Studies indicate strip searches can cause long-term psychological harm, including anxiety, depression, and phobias.
• 🚫 The American Bar Association states that strip searching a minor is