The arrest and charges against Dugan have sparked concerns about intimidation against judges but Russell Wheeler adds that the presence of deportation agents in the courthouse also creates a chilling effect. Wheeler is a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
“The question is whether or not they should be searching in the courthouse in the first place,” Wheeler told UPI. “They don’t want ICE agents in the courthouse because people without status are going to be afraid to testify, be witnesses and cooperate with law enforcement.”
Wheeler’s concerns are not limited to immigration-related arrests, though in the current climate that concern is heightened.
“There’s a host of reasons you want to keep the courthouse open, regardless of status,” he said. “It’s the same reason as having a church as a no-arrest zone. That’s a matter of preserving religious freedom. This is a matter, in my view, of preserving the integrity of the judicial process. You don’t do that by creating a system where people are afraid to go to court. You don’t want to discourage people from reporting crimes or providing evidence.”
UPI: Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest raises questions about jurisdiction, preserving judicial integrity
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