Federal authorities arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on Friday, charging her with obstruction after she allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the courthouse last week. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert ordered Dugan released on her own recognizance after a brief appearance in federal court.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest in a post on social media site 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." Patel briefly deleted the post before reposting it after Dugan's court appearance.
According to an unsealed criminal complaint, Dugan faces two charges: "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest." If convicted, she could face up to six years in prison.
The complaint alleges that on April 18, Dugan escorted Flores Ruiz and his counsel out of her courtroom through a jury door after ICE agents informed her they had an administrative warrant for his arrest. Flores Ruiz, who entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico and was issued an expedited removal order in January 2013, had been scheduled for a pretrial conference before Dugan on three misdemeanor battery and domestic abuse charges stemming from a March 12 incident.
After being escorted out, Flores Ruiz fled the building. "Task force members located FLORES-Ruiz outside the courthouse and approached him. FLORES-Ruiz then ran from the task force members and was eventually apprehended a short distance away," the complaint states.
Patel said, "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."
Dugan's attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during Friday's hearing, "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly protests the arrest and believes it was not made in the interests of public safety." The Department of Justice declined to comment further on Patel's social media posts.
Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley had previously informed his colleagues via email that ICE agents were at the courthouse on April 18 to execute an arrest warrant, but did not mention Dugan or an FBI investigation. Neither Ashley's office nor Dugan's chambers immediately responded to media inquiries.
Court records confirmed that Flores Ruiz was set to appear before Dugan at the time of the incident. Details regarding the domestic abuse charges were not immediately available.
