A Wisconsin circuit judge is facing federal charges for allegedly blocking immigration agents from arresting an undocumented immigrant, in a case that highlights the renewed clash between local officials and federal authorities under former President Donald Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown.
Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County was arrested Friday and charged with obstructing a government proceeding and concealing a person from arrest. She appeared briefly in federal court before being released and is scheduled to enter a plea on May 15.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dugan interfered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who attempted to detain Eduardo Flores-Ruiz outside her courtroom on April 18. Flores-Ruiz, previously deported to Mexico, had re-entered the U.S. illegally and was facing battery charges related to domestic abuse.
The federal complaint alleges that Dugan questioned the agents’ authority when she discovered they had only an administrative warrant—not a judicial one. She then allegedly allowed Flores-Ruiz to exit through a restricted door, temporarily avoiding arrest. He was later taken into custody after a brief pursuit outside the courthouse.
A statement from Dugan’s legal team said she “will defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated.” She did not comment publicly after her court appearance, but a crowd gathered outside in support, chanting, “Free the judge now.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the prosecution, stating, “No one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations.”
The case marks a pivotal moment in Trump’s revived immigration enforcement agenda following his return to office in 2024. Federal prosecutors have been instructed to pursue local officials seen as obstructing immigration law enforcement.
This is not without precedent: a Massachusetts judge was similarly charged in 2019, although those charges were dropped in 2022.
Judge Dugan, elected in 2016, previously led Catholic Charities in Milwaukee and worked with the Legal Aid Society. She has been involved in numerous social justice efforts, including refugee resettlement programs.
The complaint describes Dugan as “visibly angry” when approached by plainclothes agents who intended to arrest Flores-Ruiz after the hearing. When they acknowledged lacking a judicial warrant, she allegedly directed them to speak with the chief judge. She later allowed the defendant and his attorney to exit through a non-public area, facilitating his brief escape.
Flores-Ruiz was arrested minutes later outside the courthouse. The Department of Homeland Security condemned Dugan’s actions, calling them “shocking and shameful.”
The charges have sparked criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Dick Durbin called the prosecution “an attack on judicial independence,” warning that it could discourage cooperation with law enforcement by victims and witnesses.
Legal analysts are split on the case’s broader implications. Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney, said it raises complex questions about federal versus local authority. “This appears to be a very aggressive use of federal power,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, former New Mexico judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy were charged with tampering with evidence. Prosecutors allege they tried to destroy a cellphone belonging to a man living on their property, reportedly linked to a Venezuelan gang and facing weapons charges. Cano was disqualified from judicial service earlier this week.
With two judges now under federal scrutiny, the Trump administration’s push to confront local resistance to immigration enforcement appears to be escalating.
