Judge Dugan Charged with Obstruction and Concealment
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been charged with two federal felonies. Authorities allege she helped an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest by federal agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Federal prosecutors filed a 13-page complaint on 25 April. The charges include obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a $175,000 fine. Combined, the charges could bring six years in prison and $350,000 in fines. Sentences in nonviolent cases, however, usually result in lesser penalties.
Figure 1: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan charged with two federal felonies
Incident Involves Undocumented Defendant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz
The charges stem from an incident on 18 April. Dugan allegedly helped Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz avoid arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Flores-Ruiz appeared in her courtroom for a pretrial conference. He currently faces three Class A misdemeanour battery charges involving domestic violence.
Flores-Ruiz, living in Milwaukee for about 12 years, works as a cook. Authorities say he was deported in 2013 and illegally re-entered the country. He now faces federal charges of illegal re-entry. ICE took him into custody at Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau.
Federal Complaint Outlines Courtroom Encounter
The complaint states six plain-clothes ICE agents came to the courthouse with an administrative arrest warrant. They notified the bailiff and waited in the hallway outside Dugan’s courtroom. A court clerk informed Dugan of their presence.
According to the complaint, “Judge DUGAN became visibly angry, commented that the situation was ‘absurd,’ left the bench, and entered chambers.” She then confronted the arrest team and told them they required a judicial warrant. Dugan directed them to report to Chief Judge Carl Ashley’s office.
The bailiff later told agents Dugan expedited Flores-Ruiz’s hearing. Witnesses said she forcefully motioned for Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer to exit through a side door. That door led to a private hallway, then into a public area.
Federal Agents Chased Flores-Ruiz Outside Courthouse
A DEA agent followed them into an elevator. After exiting, Flores-Ruiz fled on foot. Agents chased him the length of the courthouse and detained him at West State Street and North 10th Street. Federal records confirm Flores-Ruiz’s detention and re-entry charges.
Judge Dugan Appears in Federal Court
Judge Dugan was arrested at 8 a.m. on 25 April inside the courthouse. She later appeared in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries. Dugan did not comment during the hearing. Prosecutors confirmed they were not seeking her detention. Dries stated the charges were not “eligible” for detention.
Dugan wore a black dress with white flowers and was not in a jumpsuit. Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.” Former U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic now represents her.
Legal Community and Officials React to Arrest
Attorney Franklyn Gimbel criticised the arrest, calling it “outrageous.” He said, “A person who is a judge, who has a residence who has no problem being found, should not be arrested, if you will, like some common criminal.” He expressed surprise that the FBI did not invite her to accept service voluntarily.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrest on social media, stating, “I can confirm that our @FBI agents just arrested Hannah Dugan – a county judge in Milwaukee – for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid an arrest by @ICEgov.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also posted, deleted, and then reposted a statement. He wrote, “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.”
Figure 2: Kash Patel’s deleted statement on Twitter
Elected Officials Voice Differing Views
Senator Tammy Baldwin criticised the arrest as governmental overreach by the Trump administration. Mayor Cavalier Johnson also condemned the move. He described the arrest as “ham-handed” and “haphazard,” accusing federal agents of “showboating.”
Johnson added, “If a judge is being arrested in a courthouse, just imagine the chilling effect that it sends to other folks who would otherwise participate in judicial proceedings in our courthouse – and not just in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, but courthouses across the state of Wisconsin and courthouses across the United States.”
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Senator Ron Johnson advised cooperation with federal law enforcement. He said, “I would advise everyone to cooperate with federal law enforcement and not endanger them and the public by obstructing their efforts to arrest criminals and illegal aliens.”
Representative Tom Tiffany also weighed in on social media. He wrote, “If you help illegal aliens evade arrest, you will be arrested.” He linked the case to previous criticisms of Governor Tony Evers’ administration over immigration guidance.
Protesters Gather at Courthouse Following Arrest
A crowd gathered outside the federal courthouse in Milwaukee on 26 April. Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace. Let the judge be released.” Some held signs reading, “Justice 4 all” and “Judge arrest = Trump guilt.” The group linked arms and vowed to return.
Flores-Ruiz’s Misdemeanour Case Remains Pending
The battery charges stem from a March 12 incident at a shared residence on West Vliet Street. He allegedly punched one person 30 times and struck a woman who attempted to intervene. Each misdemeanour count carries a maximum of nine months jail time and a $10,000 fine.
Judge Dugan, elected to Branch 31 in 2016, defeated a Scott Walker appointee. Her current term expires in 2028.
