U.S. authorities have detained a judge from Wisconsin, charging her with assisting a man in her court to evade immigration enforcement, amid escalating tensions between President Donald Trump’s administration and local officials regarding immigration policy.
The U.S. Justice Department’s criminal complaint states that Hannah Dugan, a circuit judge in Milwaukee County, refused to surrender the man when immigration agents attempted to arrest him in her courtroom on April 18. Allegedly, she tried to aid his escape by permitting him to leave through a jury exit.
Judge Dugan made a brief appearance in a federal court in Milwaukee, facing charges of obstructing a proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest, according to court records.
She has been released and is expected to enter a plea on May 15. A crowd gathered outside the courthouse, chanting for her release with “free the judge now.”
“Judge Dugan will defend herself resolutely and looks forward to being vindicated,” stated a PR firm on her behalf.
After taking office in January, Mr. Trump initiated an extensive crackdown on immigration, directing federal prosecutors to target local officials who obstruct these efforts.
This resistance was prevalent throughout Mr. Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.
“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on social media.
The Trump administration has been engaged in a growing conflict with federal judges, as several have issued rulings limiting its aggressive use of presidential authority concerning immigration and other issues.
State courts have played a less significant role in this ongoing dispute.
The Justice Department has instructed prosecutors to pursue cases against officials who interfere with immigration enforcement efforts.
FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned on social media that agents arrested Judge Dugan for obstructing the attempted arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, whom he called an “illegal alien” currently in custody.
He later retracted that post, made prior to the federal court case against Judge Dugan being unsealed, potentially breaching confidentiality rules.
“Director Patel’s comment illustrates that Trump’s FBI appears more focused on politicizing federal law enforcement, punishing individuals without due process, and intimidating anyone opposing these policies, rather than seeking justice,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley remarked in a statement.
The complaint indicates that Judge Dugan became “visibly angry” and deemed it “absurd” when immigration officials arrived on April 18 to arrest Mr. Flores-Ruiz, who faced misdemeanor battery charges linked to domestic abuse.
Immigration advocates and some local officials have raised concerns about courthouse arrests, arguing they may dissuade witnesses from coming forward to testify about crimes.
According to the complaint, Judge Dugan directed immigration officials to consult with the chief judge and then escorted Mr. Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a passage leading to a non-public area of the courthouse.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, citing unnamed sources, reported that Judge Dugan guided Mr. Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to a secluded hallway, eventually leading them to a public area.
Carl Ashley, the chief judge of the Milwaukee court, declined to comment.
The Trump administration has faced pushback from federal judges over deportation policies.
The complaint stated that Mr. Flores-Ruiz had previously been deported to Mexico.
Judge Dugan was first elected as a county judge in 2016, having previously served as the head of the local Catholic Charities branch, which supports refugee resettlement programs among other services.
She spent a substantial portion of her early career as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, serving low-income individuals.
This week, federal authorities also arrested a former judge from New Mexico, charging him with evidence tampering, court records indicate, following the discovery of a man, alleged to be connected to a Venezuelan street gang, living on his property.
A criminal complaint has yet to be filed against the former judge, Joel Cano, who was barred from serving in the state by the supreme court on Tuesday.
It is rare for sitting judges in the United States to face criminal charges.
Allegations of misconduct are generally investigated by state oversight agencies, with nine out of ten judges permitted to retain their positions, based on a Reuters analysis of over 1,500 such instances.
During Mr. Trump’s first term from 2017-2021, federal prosecutors charged a Massachusetts judge accused of obstructing a federal immigration arrest in her courtroom.
Those charges were dropped in 2022, after Mr. Trump had left office.
Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor now at the University of Michigan Law School, expressed that judges hold no special immunity but that prosecutors should consider the implications on the U.S. federal system, which permits states to enforce their own laws.
“This seems like a very aggressive exercise of prosecutorial discretion,” she stated.
