In a dramatic turn of events, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on Friday by the FBI and charged in federal court for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid detention by federal authorities.
The arrest has sparked national conversation, particularly given its implications for judicial conduct and immigration enforcement under federal law.
Judge Dugan is facing two serious federal charges—obstruction of justice and harboring or concealing an individual from arrest. She made an initial court appearance and was subsequently released, pending further legal proceedings.
According to the FBI, the incident occurred on April 18, when federal agents in plainclothes entered Judge Dugan’s courtroom to apprehend Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national previously deported in 2013.
Flores-Ruiz had reentered the United States illegally and came under federal radar again after a recent arrest in a local domestic abuse case.
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Court documents reveal that upon learning of the agents’ presence from her courtroom deputy, Judge Dugan reportedly became visibly upset, described the situation as “absurd,” left the bench, and retreated to her chambers. The FBI alleges that her actions misled or delayed the agents, giving Flores-Ruiz the opportunity to flee the courtroom and temporarily evade arrest.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the situation on social media platform X, stating, “We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest. Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.”
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Judge Dugan’s legal counsel has pushed back strongly against the charges. Her attorney stated during Friday’s proceedings that the arrest “was not made in the interest of public safety” and that the judge “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest.”
Legal experts and civil liberties advocates are watching the case closely, as it raises complex questions about judicial independence, courtroom jurisdiction, and federal immigration enforcement. The case also comes amid the continued push by federal authorities to hold local and state officials accountable if they are perceived as interfering with immigration-related arrests.
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This arrest marks a significant escalation in the U.S. Justice Department’s approach to local officials’ roles in immigration matters, especially under administrations that have prioritized stringent immigration policies. The Trump administration, in particular, has maintained a firm stance that all local officials — including judges — must cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions.
Judge Dugan’s case could set a legal precedent for how far federal law can reach into courtroom decision-making and what boundaries exist between local judicial authority and federal immigration jurisdiction.
As the case unfolds, it is expected to attract national attention not just for its legal ramifications, but for the broader debate it represents—about the role of judges, immigration enforcement, and the balance of powers between federal and local governance.
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