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Wisconsin Judge Indicted for Allegedly Obstructing ICE Agents
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly helping a man evade immigration authorities. The indictment allows the case against Judge Hannah Dugan to proceed.
Judge Dugan was initially charged in April with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. This followed an incident where she allegedly escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a man wanted by ICE, and his lawyer out a back door of her courtroom.
Federal agents were reportedly in the courthouse at the time to apprehend Flores-Ruiz, who had illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013. He was appearing before Judge Dugan on misdemeanor domestic abuse charges.
Court documents indicate a tense confrontation between Judge Dugan and the ICE agents. After being alerted to their presence, the judge allegedly expressed anger and questioned the agents’ authority.
Following a discussion about the warrant for Flores-Ruiz, she reportedly led the agents away from the courtroom before returning and escorting Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted access door. Although Flores-Ruiz initially escaped, federal agents apprehended him outside the courthouse after a brief pursuit.
The case has drawn attention to the ongoing tension between the Trump administration’s immigration policies and local authorities. Critics have suggested that the prosecution of Judge Dugan is intended to discourage judicial resistance to federal immigration enforcement. A similar case against a Massachusetts judge during the Trump administration was ultimately dismissed.
Following the charges, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Judge Dugan to maintain public trust in the judiciary. A reserve judge has taken over her duties. Judge Dugan, who was elected to the bench in 2016 and reelected in 2022, previously worked as a civil attorney and held leadership roles in several legal aid organizations.