MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin court commissioner has resigned following an incident where he requested to see an immigration arrest warrant, highlighting ongoing tensions between the judicial system and the Trump administration's strict immigration policies. Peter Navis, who served as a Walworth County Court Commissioner for four years, officially stepped down last month, as confirmed by county clerk Michelle Jacobs. Jacobs opted not to provide further details on the situation, citing personnel matters.
The resignation stemmed from an event that took place on July 15 during a courtroom session involving Enrrique Onan Zamora Castro, a Milwaukee resident who was facing a misdemeanor charge related to operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license for the second time within three years. According to court transcripts, Navis confronted sheriff’s deputies who attempted to detain Castro on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without presenting a valid federal warrant.
In the transcript, Navis stated firmly, "In my courtroom, a person cannot be detained without lawful authority." He insisted that he had been directed by other judges in the county to require proper warrants before detaining individuals in his courtroom. The assistant district attorney, Andrew Herrmann, responded by asserting that Navis did not have the authority to view the warrant, and as of the latest reports, he did not return a voicemail seeking further comment on the matter.
The incident unfolded against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of judicial actions related to immigration. Just two months prior, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was charged with obstructing federal officers after she allegedly attempted to protect an undocumented individual from arrest by ICE within her courthouse. Dugan is currently seeking to have the charges dismissed, arguing that her actions were part of her duties as a judge, thereby granting her immunity from prosecution. A decision regarding her motion is awaited from U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman.
Navis’s resignation marks a notable case of conflict between local court officials and federal immigration enforcement efforts that have intensified during the Trump administration. Notably, Walworth County, located in south-central Wisconsin along the border with Illinois, played a role in the 2016 presidential election, where Trump secured approximately 60% of the votes in the area. This local political climate further contextualizes the tensions surrounding immigration policies and judicial responses.
Walworth County Clerk of Courts Michele Jacobs noted that it is routine for deputies to carry out arrests based on warrants within the courthouse, implying that the process followed by Navis may not be in alignment with prevailing practices in the area. However, none of the four judges in Walworth County responded to inquiries seeking clarification, leaving the implications of Navis’s actions and resignation to be further examined in the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement priorities and judicial independence.
