Statement from Madison Tenant Power on the Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan

April 27, 2025

Madison Tenant Power

Tenant unions fight all forms of displacement — evictions, rent hikes, gentrification, and deportations. Madison Tenant Power stands in solidarity with Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County, now facing federal charges for protecting an immigrant defendant from an unjust deportation attempt in her courtroom.

Judge Dugan upheld due process by questioning an ICE warrant. Her arrest marks a chilling escalation in the Trump administration’s assault on immigrant communities and democratic institutions, weaponizing immigration to advance a white supremacist, authoritarian agenda.

At the same time, the revocation of over 1,190 international students' visas — often for political activism, especially around Palestinian liberation — shows how immigration crackdowns are used to suppress dissent and sow fear.

Fighting for immigrant rights and Palestinian liberation is fighting against racism, imperialism, and capitalism. Solidarity is our superpower — and a global community is how we win a fair and free world.

We stand with groups like Voces de la Frontera, and call for stronger rapid response networks to defend against ICE, police raids, and evictions. Tenant unions, immigrant defense, and abolitionist organizations must unite to build grassroots self-defense against the racist, capitalist systems that threaten our communities.