ICE Makes Fifth Arrest at Milwaukee County Courthouse Amid Enforcement Concerns

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made multiple arrests at the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex, with another individual taken into custody on May 7 after a court hearing concluded. This marks at least the fifth arrest at or near the courthouse in recent months, continuing a pattern that has sparked significant local and national controversy over the appropriateness of immigration enforcement actions in judicial settings. Notable incidents include the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz in April, which led to the subsequent arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan on allegations of obstruction for allegedly assisting Flores-Ruiz in evading ICE. Chief Judge Carl Ashley has expressed concern about the chilling effect these arrests have on access to justice and is working on a policy to address the presence of federal immigration agents in the courthouse. The identities of some individuals arrested remain undisclosed, and ICE has provided limited information in these cases. The series of arrests has drawn bipartisan judicial criticism and community protests highlighting tensions between immigration enforcement and the judicial process.