Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has ignited a legal and political firestorm with a directive that critics say openly encourages state employees to obstruct federal immigration enforcement—even when agents arrive with a valid warrant. While Evers claims the guidance is about legal support and consistency, the White House border czar Tom Homan has accused him of sabotaging federal law—and warned that felony charges could be on the table.
Last month, a memo issued from Evers’ office instructed all Wisconsin state employees to:
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Refuse to answer questions from ICE agents, even when the agent presents a warrant.
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Deny ICE access to any documents or computer systems unless cleared by a state attorney.
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Block enforcement in non-public areas, unless ICE presents a judicial warrant (not just an administrative one).
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Delay cooperation by routing all federal immigration interactions through Evers Administration lawyers.
The document—obtained by Wisconsin Right Now—amounts to a statewide sanctuary protocol, implemented without legislation and without a public debate. According to the Trump administration and legal experts, such instructions flirt dangerously with criminal obstruction of federal law.
“If you cross that line to impediment or knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a felony, and we’re treating it as such,” he said on May 1.
He accused Evers of building a de facto sanctuary firewall around illegal aliens—one that explicitly tells public employees to block and delay ICE, regardless of legal authority.
Evers’ response? A three-minute video statement full of denials, deflections, and accusations against “right-wing allies,” Elon Musk, and President Trump. He insists the memo was not about obstruction but about ensuring state employees have legal counsel when dealing with federal agents.
“I haven’t broken the law. I haven’t committed a crime,” Evers said, claiming the backlash is a “fake controversy.”
He went on to say he would not be “discouraged” from doing the “right thing” and attempted to portray himself as a principled figure defending rule of law—even as his memo instructs employees to withhold cooperation with legal warrants.
Evers’ memo didn’t arrive in a vacuum. It was distributed just hours before a Milwaukee County judge, Hannah Dugan, was arrested for allegedly shielding a violent illegal alien from ICE. The timing is more than unfortunate—it’s damning.
Judge Dugan is accused of obstruction of justice and concealing an illegal immigrant named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who faces charges in a brutal assault case. The alleged sheltering occurred after a pre-trial hearing—suggesting a direct act of interference with law enforcement. Dugan now faces up to 10 years in prison.
If Evers’ memo doesn’t constitute outright encouragement for such behavior, it certainly legitimizes and institutionalizes it.
The Trump administration has already made clear it is reviewing the memo and evaluating potential charges if it’s found to have obstructed lawful immigration enforcement. Given the memo’s plain language—instructing employees to block access, ignore warrants, and demand legal counsel before even engaging with federal agents—the case for obstruction is gaining steam.
And as federal law (8 U.S. Code § 1324) makes clear, knowingly harboring, shielding, or aiding illegal immigrants in avoiding detection or arrest is a felony offense—one that applies not just to individuals, but to state officials and agencies when acting outside the bounds of the law.
