Broad Coalition Sounds the Alarm on the Administration’s Politicization of Law Enforcement and Attacks on Judicial Independence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan by the Trump administration, Free Speech For People joined over 80 organizations and released the following statement warning about the administration’s dangerous politicization of law enforcement and continued attacks on the judiciary:

“We are deeply troubled by the Trump Administration’s actions regarding the arrest of a sitting judge in Milwaukee. While the facts are still emerging, the manner in which this arrest was handled—deliberately turned into a public spectacle by administration officials, including the FBI Director—represents just the latest example of a broader campaign against the judiciary and Americans’ fundamental freedoms.

“Donald Trump is not a king, yet his administration consistently works to erode judicial independence with intimidation tactics, public attacks on judges who issue what the Trump administration perceives to be unfavorable rulings, and blatant disregard for court orders. FBI Director Kash Patel’s public politicization of law enforcement in this matter demonstrates this administration’s calculated strategy to weaken checks and balances through political theater designed to intimidate the judiciary. These assaults strike at the very heart of our democratic system and must be recognized for what they are—a direct threat to the constitutional principles that safeguard the liberty of all Americans.”

Organizations:

All Voting is Local
Alliance for Justice
American Constitution Society
American Federation of Teachers
American Friends Service Committee
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Cause Communications
CBFD Indivisible
Center for Media and Democracy
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
CoED
Common Cause
Common Defense
Community Justice Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG)
Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network
Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC)
Court Accountability
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, Washington DC
Defending Rights & Dissent
Demand Justice
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
Earthjustice Action
Emancipate NC, executive director
End Citizens United
Faith in Action
Fix the Court

Free Speech For People
Global Studies Association of North America
Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Heath and Heath, P.C.
Immigrant ARC
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef)
Immigrant Justice Network
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Immigrant Rights Clinic of Washington Square Legal Services, Inc.
Indivisible
Indivisible Chicago Alliance
Indivisible Hawaii
Jared S Kosoglad, PC
Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
League of Conservation Voters
Michigan United
MoveOn
National Association of Social Workers
National Employment Law Project

National Homelessness Law Center

National Lawyers Guild – Chicago
National Women’s Law Center
North Carolina For The People Action
Pennsylvania Stands Up
People For the American Way
People Power United
People’s Action Institute
People’s Parity Project
People’s Law Office
Positive Force DC
Progressive Democrats of America Deputy
Progressive Leaderships Alliance of Nevada
Project Say Something
Public Citizen
Public Rights Project
RepresentUs
Revolving Door Project
Rights and Democracy
Robin Potter & Associates, P.C.
Stand Up America
State Democracy Defenders Action
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Task Force for Democracy
The 65 Project
The Center for Progressive Christianity
The Coppola Firm
The Festival Center
The Law Office of Timothy J. Deffet
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Workers Circle
VoteAmerica
West Virginia Citizen Action Group
Win Without War
Women’s March