A Milwaukee judge was arrested by the FBI on Friday and is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
According to Associated Press, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly escorted the undocumented immigrant and his lawyer out of a juror’s door when she learned that ICE agents were waiting to arrest him. However, the man was chased on foot outside of the courthouse and taken into custody.
President Donald Trump and his administration have alleged that state and local officials have obstructed his immigration enforcement priorities. This arrest occurs against the backdrop of an escalating conflict between the administration and the federal judiciary regarding the president’s executive actions on deportations and related issues.
According to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron, Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday morning at the courthouse grounds, before appearing in federal court later that day and was then released. Dugan is charged with “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) accused the Trump administration of using “dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.”
“I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law,” he said.
According to the FBI affidavit, Dugan appeared “visibly angry” when immigration agents arrived at the courthouse, calling the situation “absurd” before stepping down from the bench. The affidavit also states that she, along with another judge, later confronted members of the arrest team inside the courthouse and was described as “confrontational” and “angry.”
The man in question, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 30, was appearing in court after he had been charged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic battery, and faces up to nine months in prison and a $10,000 for each count if found guilty.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said victims of Flores-Ruiz were sitting in the courtroom when Dugan helped him escape.
“The rule of law is very simple,” Bondi said in a video posted on X. “It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts and we will prosecute you.”
