What does it mean to celebrate freedom from tyranny and the birth of a government founded on equal rights and the consent of the governed amid the current ICE surge? Over the last several days, as Isiah Holmes reports, masked federal agents have been snatching people off the streets in Milwaukee and Madison, breaking car windows, separating families, spreading fear and violently arresting people who have no criminal record.

This is the backdrop to the Fourth of July holiday this year.

A few days after the fireworks, on July 8, former Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan faces sentencing for her conviction of obstructing federal agents who came to her courtroom to arrest Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a man who appeared before her on misdemeanor charges last April. Objecting to federal immigration arrests inside the courthouse, which had been disrupting proceedings for weeks, Dugan confronted the agents, then quickly ended Flores Ruiz’s hearing and led him out a side door. He was arrested outside the courthouse minutes later. For her defiant act, Dugan was subjected to a campaign of intimidation and public humiliation. She was arrested, handcuffed, shackled, perp-walked through the courthouse, and had her picture plastered all over social media by FBI director Kash Patel and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi. Now, federal prosecutors argue, she should be sent to prison for 15-21 months.

“This was a serious offense, and it warrants a correspondingly serious sentence,” they wrote in their sentencing memorandum.

Dugan’s crime is particularly grave, federal prosecutors write, because “she used her position to interfere with the lawful administration of justice. That betrayal magnifies the seriousness of the offense.”

Her conduct “undermined public confidence in the judicial process,” they continue, and only a serious sentence can “reaffirm a foundational principle of our criminal justice system: no one is above the law.”

That last, high-minded sentence comes directly from a gloating social media post by Bondi, which drew responses inducing: “except for J6ers and Donald Trump.”

The heavy-handedness of the Dugan arrest came before the much more traumatic ICE surges in Chicago and Minneapolis and the cold-blooded killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.

What does it mean, given everything that has happened just over the last year, when federal prosecutors argue that punishing Dugan beyond the loss of her reputation, her livelihood, her home — she moved out after receiving serious threats — and her ability to go out in public, is a matter of “the need to promote respect for the law”?

“Respect for the law” under President Donald Trump is a one-way street. It means respect for the unfettered authority of his administration. His own complete lack of respect for the rule of law or Americans’ constitutional rights is clear.

The actions of the Trump administration ring a bell on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which, among its enumerated grievances against the King of England, lists having “kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures” and “protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States”. 

There has still been no disciplinary action, investigation or even apology from the U.S. government for the shootings of Renee Good or Alex Pretti.

Dugan’s colleague, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Wall, in a letter to the court included in the defendant’s sentencing memorandum,, describes Dugan’s “career-long commitment to the poor and the powerless,” including her pro bono work for Legal Action, Catholic Charities and at the Immigration Legal Services Program, as well as “founding, staffing and leading no less than ten programs and projects that provided legal services and other assistance to immigrants, the poor, and the unrepresented.” 

She has already been punished enough, Wall writes. Instead of more than a year in prison, he suggests Dugan’s sentence should be time served. That happens to be the same sentence given to Eduardo Flores Ruiz, the man she was convicted of trying to help escape.

Of Dugan’s public arrest at the courthouse, where she was paraded in front of her colleagues in handcuffs and shackles, Wall writes, “Of course, none of that was necessary. It was all meant to humiliate her. It was meant to humiliate her in the eyes of her colleagues and the general public.”

It was also meant to strike fear in the hearts of other judges and public officials who might dare to stand up to the Trump administration.

Dugan’s lawyers rebut the prosecution’s argument that her imprisonment would serve as a deterrent to future crime, pointing out that not only has she been an exemplary member of her community with no prior criminal record, she is no longer a judge and cannot possibly repeat the particular act of which she was convicted. 

As for other judges taking the wrong lesson and going rogue, in their sentencing memo, Dugan’s lawyers point out that the Trump administration’s aggressive ICE policy of conducting arrests inside of courthouses has been blocked by a federal judge in a recent class action suit. 

In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Casey Pitts  called the Trump administration’s reversal of a policy that previously avoided arrests in courthouses  “arbitrary and capricious,” and pointed to ICE’s previous guidance stating that courthouse arrests “disincentivize” immigrants from attending their hearings.

This was precisely the concern judges in Milwaukee were actively discussing last April, when Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom and then led Flores Ruiz out a side door. 

The prosecution, in demanding a heavy sentence, also claims that Dugan “put others in danger” by forcing agents to resort to making an arrest outside the courthouse after a foot chase, where they might have been hit by a car. “None of this would have happened but for the defendant’s interference with law enforcement officers who were merely attempting to do their duty in a peaceful and safe manner.”

The assertion that federal immigration agents deploying extraordinarily aggressive new tactics are “peaceful and safe” flies in the face of every image of home invasions, broken windows, reckless driving, and, of course, deadly shootings on previously peaceful residential streets. ICE prefers to make arrests at courthouses because they are soft targets and therefore “safe” for armed, masked agents. So, too, are many of the people they are going after. In June, Diana Socha Torres and her 8-year-old son were grabbed by ICE agents from their home in the Wisconsin Dells. They are currently sitting in a jail-like detention center in Dilley, Texas, notorious for overcrowding and shortages of food, water and medicine. Socha Torres has committed no crime. She has been living and working  in the U.S. for years while pursuing an asylum claim based on what her lawyer says is her legitimate fear of violence in Colombia. She has never missed a court date until recently. Missed court dates have become common, her lawyer told Wisconsin Public Radio, as immigration courts rapidly change dates and many clients are unaware that their appearances have been rescheduled. For this paperwork infraction, the U.S. government is keeping Socha Torres and a little boy in a dangerous South Texas jail. 

This is the type of repression that sparked a revolution 250 years ago. Real patriotism means standing up to it today. 

WASHINGTON — What’s more American than apple pie? Capitalism. And an array of merchandise and influence is on sale for the 250th birthday of the United States.

An America250 $275 Liberty Lux American Prosperity decorative throw pillow, anyone? How about a $25 Freedom 250 youth tee?

America250, a commission created by Congress a decade ago, and Freedom 250, President Donald Trump’s entity formed last year, each operate on their own respective tracks as a nonprofit and as a limited liability company. Both are employing staff, soliciting corporate donors and spending taxpayer funds. 

That means people, businesses and nonprofits are getting a slice of the semiquincentennial pie, some bigger than others. But there is no clear accounting of which entities are getting the bigger shares and no one associated with either organization offered a full explanation to States Newsroom. Reports also show at least $10 million in taxpayer money flowing from America250 to Freedom 250, and some Democratic lawmakers claim more has been redirected.

The commission’s nonprofit arm, America250.org, lists 850 items available from its official online store: apparel, toys, games, eyewear, housewares, challenge coins, holiday ornaments, and a premier collectible line including an $8,000 painting by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based “speed painter” Cody Sabol. 

America250 Chair Rosie Rios said the nonprofit arm receives a portion of the profits.

“It’s a licensing arrangement, so we get a percentage of the merchandise sold,” Rios told States Newsroom during a June 22 interview.

When asked how to differentiate between America250 the commission and America250 the nonprofit, Rios said “Think of it as one entity. America250 is one entity working together on the planning side and the implementations.”

An America250 spokesperson declined to specify what percentage of funds from merchandise that America250’s nonprofit arm received in 2025 and 2026, but provided a written statement.

“America250 is proud to be partnering with numerous household brands to bring the America250 logo and merchandise to communities across the country. These partnerships and merchandise are designed to help expand public awareness of the commemoration and give Americans additional ways to participate in the Semiquincentennial,” according to a spokesperson, adding the list of merch has grown in recent months.

“Our partners help bring the celebration to Americans through the brands they know and trust, advancing our goal of reaching all 350 million Americans as part of our ‘350 for 250’ initiative,” the statement continued. 

In its 2025 legally mandated annual report to Congress, the America250 commission touted “a strong portfolio of strategic licensing agreements” that generated new revenue.

States Newsroom reached out to the offices of bipartisan members of Congress who currently serve as commissioners, and several staff replied they did not have information about how much money is being generated by merchandise.

The commissioners include Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., as well as Reps. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., Maria Salazar, R-Fla., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

Freedom 250, the Trump entity, offers 62 branded products for sale on its website store, including shirts, hats, can koozies, stickers, pins and a colonial model flag with “250” featured inside the circle of the 13 stars.

At least two booths selling merchandise are open at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, one of Freedom 250’s main events.

Freedom 250 press officials did not respond to States Newsroom regarding where merchandise profits are directed.

Merchandise representing both America250 and Freedom 250 has been spotted in tourist shops in Washington, D.C., and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just over the Virginia border.

Millions in spending

Congress initially appropriated $79.8 million over several years to the America250 commission, beginning in 2019, according to the entity’s annual report.

Most of its spending in 2025 — $17 million — went to America250 programs, according to the report.

That included field trips for roughly 550 students, $250,000 in grants for young entrepreneurs, an America250 time capsule to be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, a “Giving Forth” initiative to raise awareness about mid-year donations to nonprofit organizations, and New Year’s Eve-style ball drops to ring in Independence Day in every U.S. time zone and territory, among other initiatives.

“We are driven by purpose, not politics and our bipartisan Commission focuses on serving the interests of all Americans as mandated by our legislation. If the 250th anniversary is going to mean something to all Americans, it needs to be nonpartisan and belong to every American,” an America250 spokesperson said.

The organization awarded $935,000 in grants to state and local entities between 2021 and 2025, according to the report. A 990 nonprofit tax filing for 2025 was not yet available on the website.

The report also showed the White House Task Force 250 — the precursor to Freedom 250 — spent roughly $31 million of the America250 funds last year, with most, $22 million, paying for the June 2025 military parade that occurred on Trump’s birthday, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Army.

An America250 spokesperson said a comprehensive list of private donors was not readily available, but the annual report identified new private-sector sponsors as The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks, Walmart, Kraft Heinz, JPMorgan Chase, General Mills, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM, BNY, and Leidos.

According to America250.org’s most recent 990 tax filing, the entity ended 2023 with just under $14.6 million in revenue — $11.1 million of which was program service revenue, and roughly $3.3 million of which came from other gifts and contributions. 

The organization spent $12.2 million for the year. A category labeled as “other” clocked in at around $8.3 million. Salaries amounted to just over $1 million, not including employee benefits. Information technology and conferences each amounted to $469,000 and fundraising expenses were nearly $343,000, among other smaller line items. 

Nine employees, and one former, are listed on the 990, with salaries ranging from $101,185 to $285,690, including incentive bonuses, the highest of which reached $43,800. 

The nonprofit gave out $175,000 in grants to organizations and local governments in 2023, according to the filing. Most of the 16 individual grants were doled out as $10,000 in seed money for state governments, and nonprofit historical societies and foundations, including those in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and West Virginia.

Congress allocated $150M 

In 2025, as part of the “big, beautiful bill,” the Republican-led Congress approved another $150 million for “events, celebrations, and activities surrounding the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, to remain available through fiscal year 2028.” 

The lawmakers directed the money to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum “acting through the director of the National Park Service.” Burgum is an ex offico member of the America250 commission as well.

According to commissioners Coleman and Padilla’s offices, America250 was promised $100 million of the “big beautiful bill” funds.

The commission has only received $25 million to date, according to Padilla’s and Coleman’s offices.

“Freedom 250 siphoned off funding but the details are murky due to their lack of transparency,” a spokesperson for Coleman’s office said.

According to an America250 spokesperson, “The final mix of funding cannot be known at this point as our programs are still in various stages of development and execution, and our fundraising for them continues.”

“However, Chair Rios’ commitment to Congress has been to engage the private sector for a true public/private partnership to engage all Americans and not rely on federal funding only,” according to the spokesperson.

The Department of the Interior did not provide to States Newsroom, as requested, a breakdown of how the funds have been allocated so far, but offered a written statement.

“As with all of our signature 250 events, resources have been made available to ensure these historic occasions are a success. The Memorandum of Understanding signed with all 250th related entities made that clear and we are proud to be partners in celebrating these iconic events honoring our 250th thanks to the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump,” according to the statement from a department spokesperson. 

Freedom 250 was formed as a limited liability company in late October 2025, according to division of corporation records in Delaware, where it is registered.

The National Park Foundation, a congressionally chartered fundraising arm for the National Park Service, created Freedom 250 as a separate LLC “to help NPS with the execution of these events, while keeping this effort distinct and separate from the day-to-day work NPF does to support our national parks.”

‘From Vanity to Insanity’

U.S. House Democrats slammed Freedom250 in a new report on July 2, calling it “a shadow organization capable of infiltrating the celebrations and injecting America’s 250th with Trump’s extreme, partisan agenda.”

The 55-page interim report titled “From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People Out of their 250th Birthday,” said the administration “hijacked” the celebrations.

“Significant questions remain unanswered, beginning with the complete donor lists and the ultimate disposition of the funds that Freedom 250 has raised and spent. But the record already assembled supports a conclusion that should alarm the American people,” according to the report.

A spokesperson for Freedom 250 dismissed the report Thursday as “categorically false” and “disheartening.”

“This so-called ‘report’ is nothing more than a partisan smear from politicians who would rather manufacture division than celebrate America’s 250th birthday alongside the rest of the country. Congressional members should be ashamed they are spending countless hours fabricating a report instead of joining Americans in creating an absolutely beautiful celebration,” according to a statement provided to States Newsroom by Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez.

Alvarez criticized America250’s use of money, saying they had “nothing to show for it.”

“Freedom 250 was created because the American people deserved better. We stepped in to rescue our nation’s 250th birthday from years of wasted time, wasted money, and failed planning. We are unapologetic about celebrating the greatest nation on earth, and we are delivering the historic celebration Americans deserved,” Alvarez said.

Mobile exhibits funded

According to USAspending.gov, a $10 million grant originally given to America250.org was transferred to the National Park Foundation in late 2025, via the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and directed to Freedom 250 to fund “Freedom 250 Trucks,” six mobile exhibits stopping at libraries and community events. 

The trucks provide curriculum resources from the private, Michigan-based Hillsdale College, a Christian institution led by Trump ally Larry Arnn, who spoke at Freedom 250’s “Rededicate 250,” a faith-based, Christian-oriented event held on the National Mall in May.

Freedom 250 did not respond to State’s Newroom’s request for a comprehensive list of donors and amounts pledged to the LLC. 

The watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington published an investigation of sponsorship money for Freedom 250 in May. Sponsors mentioned in their report included January AI, SAP, United Airlines, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Mosaic.

The New York Times reported in February that a donor solicitation obtained by the news organization revealed promises of special access and preferred seating for those who gave $500,000. A private Freedom 250 reception invite was offered, where sponsors who give $1 million can get a photograph with Trump, and the level of $2.5 million reportedly included possible speaking roles at the president’s July 4 program.

Freedom 250 did not respond to a request to confirm the Times’ report.

Freedom 250 also did not respond to questions about staffing. A quick LinkedIn search puts the range of Freedom 250 employees between two and 10.

WASHINGTON  — As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states. 

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for parts of about 20 states, including for the entirety of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. In a warning issued early Wednesday, the weather service advised that temperatures will be in the upper 90s through the weekend, with many locations reaching highs of well over 100 degrees. 

It estimated that the peak heat index will reach up to 115 degrees in some areas across the Mississippi Valley and Northeast. 

The weather service warned that these temperatures, and the lack of relief even at night, will pose a serious risk of heat-related illness. Those with pre-existing conditions or who do not have immediate access to air conditioning will be especially vulnerable.

According to Jessica Lee, services coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center, more than 200 million people live in an area that is currently under an extreme heat warning, an extreme heat watch or a heat advisory. 

“For many areas, this heat wave brings the hottest temperatures so far this season, which can be particularly dangerous because people have not yet acclimated to this intense heat,” Lee said in a statement to States Newsroom. 

Lee added that the extreme heat will begin to decrease later this weekend and early next week, with temperatures expected to return to more seasonable levels.

States issue warnings

Many states have issued their own warnings to residents, including locations of cooling centers and other resources to help residents avoid heat-related illness. 

This week’s extreme temperatures are only adding to other serious weather conditions. 

In Kentucky, the heat wave is complicating repair and recovery efforts after the state was rocked by serious floods over the weekend. 

Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency, and warned residents on Tuesday to take precautions, including finding cooling centers, hydrating and wearing light clothing. 

A sweltering 250th birthday 

The heat wave comes amid some of the largest outdoor celebrations of the year. 

Large-scale festivities are planned to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, including a multi-week state fair in Washington, D.C. and scores of fireworks displays across the country. Also bringing out crowds is the World Cup, which is hosting matches in 11 U.S. cities.  

Amanda Reinhart, a meteorologist in NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center, said that the heat wave’s threat is amplified with many travelers from across the country and world who are not acclimated to the current levels of heat

Joel Myers, the founder and executive chair of the forecasting service AccuWeather, released a public statement Wednesday, warning that the risks of exposure to prolonged extreme heat can be deadly. It is especially worrisome for those without air conditioning or other ways to cool down, he said.

“The real danger we are concerned about is what occurs when you string together several days in a row of extreme heat,” Myers said in the statement. “The more days the heat wave goes on, between the high temperatures and extremely warm nights, the more harmful it is to the body. It puts more stress on the body.”

How to stay safe

While the high heat this week poses a public health risk, officials shared steps to take to stay safe. 

Reinhart said in a statement Wednesday that though everyone can be impacted by heat, the most at-risk groups include young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, people with disabilities and individuals with chronic health conditions. 

To stay safe, Reinhart recommended drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day, and not to wait until you feel thirsty. She said to avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks, which accelerate dehydration.  

She also said to wear lightweight, loose-fitting and light-colored clothing, and to use hats and sunscreen to protect your skin. 

To cool down, she recommended using misting fans, ice towels or cool damp cloths on the neck, underarms and forehead, which can help lower core body temperature. 

Finally, Reinhart advised those outdoors to avoid sitting directly on metal or plastic seats for extended periods, find shade whenever possible and to monitor yourself and those around you for signs of heat stroke. 

“While extreme heat is dangerous, heat-related illnesses are preventable,” she said in the statement.